Hunter and Hunted
by djinni14
Summary: Your life is turning into a nightmare. Is there really a white knight in shining armor coming to save you? Just you or everyone else? NOW COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1

**Hunter and Hunted**

 **Chapter** **O** **ne**

"KATIE! Hurry up!" Johanna yelled from her own bedroom as she madly packed what she could find and remember to take for both her and her husband. "And don't forget your tampons. ALL OF THEM!"

"Shit," Kate cursed, hustling back into her bathroom to grab all of her products including the few pads that remained. While she was there she grabbed all of the first-aid items that were in her bathroom. One suitcase and her backpack and she was out of her bedroom just in time to see her dad come back into their apartment. She and her mother had done the packing while her dad had packed all the food that would fit in the car and still leave room for their clothes and of course, them.

"That was the last trip," Jim told Johanna as she left their bedroom.

"What are you doing?" Johanna knew what he was doing but thought he was mad.

"You may have mocked me when I bought this but you're not laughing now." Jim finished checking that the clip was full and slapped it back into the Glock that he had bought years ago. The only possible downside to owning it was that because of his wife, he'd never actually taken it to a shooting range to learn how to use it properly. He did, however, have almost 300 rounds for it that were already out in the car.

Johanna really wanted to tell him that he was still nuts, but he had a point and given the circumstances, she was starting to wish that they had more than one.

"Load up, Katie, we'll be right there." Johanna watched as she carried her stuff out the door. She looked at Jim worriedly. "Are we going to make it?" New York was a big city and they couldn't possibly be the only ones trying to leave it while they still could.

"I don't know. We need to use the Brooklyn Bridge or the bridge on I-478. Or the Manhattan Bridge if we have to. In addition we could really use a few more propane bottles. I don't know how much propane we have…do you?" Jim asked, hoping that she knew.

Johanna had always left that to her husband, though, so she had no idea. "Stop and get some?" she offered but her husband shook his head.

"Places like Home Depot or Walmart are going to be free-for-alls and a good place to get killed." Civility of even the neighbors that you had known for years flew out the window in times like this. "We just need to get there and pray we can do that." Jim feared just reaching it.

"Then let's get moving." Johanna picked up her two suitcases. "Movies, books?" she suddenly asked as she moved past them to reach the car.

"I'll grab a few but we don't have room for another box." She hadn't yet seen just how much space was left in the car, but she was about to.

It took a few minutes. Kate found herself sitting in the back with her own backpack on her lap since the car was unbelievably full. "Cross your fingers." Jim started the car and pulled out of the underground garage where he found the area in total chaos. There were cars and trucks and even a lot of taxi cabs trying to get through the streets. That didn't include all the people that were either walking or running.

"Good God!" Johanna had never seen anything like it. She watched as Jim drove until it looked like they were going to be trapped. Then suddenly he turned down a side alley that was working fine until they came across a trash bin. "Do we get out and move it?" Johanna reached for the door handle until suddenly she saw her husband using the car to push it in front of them. It was on wheels so it was actually working until it and they stopped.

"Now we push or whatever." Jim squeezed out his door as did Johanna. "Stay here," he told his daughter who wasn't sure how she was going to get out anyway.

"Fine by me." Kate felt like she was in a cocoon at any rate.

It turned out to be just trash that was blocking their progress. Picking it all up and throwing it all into the dumpster cleared the way and they squeezed back into the car.

Then came the next problem. One street over was also crowded and Jim had just slammed the dumpster into the side of a car that had been sitting there. A few 3-point turns and he was actually driving down the sidewalk, hitting trash cans, newspaper dispensers, and anything else that was in the way.

Jim saw an opening and sped across the front of one car, into another alley and got lucky; it was empty. The next street over had him stopping again. They were trapped for a moment until a car moved a little and Jim squeezed between two cars. They all heard a scraping sound on both sides. "JIM!" Johanna wasn't happy that her husband was damaging their car.

"We're never going to see this car again nor are we going to be making payments on anything, so stop complaining," Jim bit out since he was beyond tense from all the worry.

What Johanna wanted to do was to yell at him to not snap at her. It was just that he was right, which only magnified the problem. She held her tongue. They were at least making progress.

Then Jim began to worry. "Here take this." He fished out his weapon and handed it to Johanna.

"What am I supposed to do with this thing?" Johanna didn't even want them to have one, let alone possibly use the stupid thing.

"Hand it over, Mom." Kate reached between the two of them and took it from her. Kate didn't really know how to use it, either. What little she knew about guns was what she'd seen in movies.

While they drove down another alley, Kate pushed the button and popped the clip out. She looked at the rounds that were already in it, slapped the clip back in place, and pulled the slide back. Then she found the lever that took it from safe to firing. Although it wasn't marked in any way, she found that it went up and down with relative ease. She guessed that down was safe and up wasn't so she made sure it was down and placed it in her lap between her and her backpack.

They were actually beginning to make progress and they knew they were getting closer. That was until Jim was forced to stop because there was too much debris in the way. It was supposed to be a short cut that would help them avoid roads.

They were stunned when a man appeared next to Jim and jammed a gun to his head. "OUT!" These idiots had just what he wanted and needed. By the look of it, the car was fully loaded and would last him for weeks if not months. Jim was shocked into inaction. He couldn't hand over their car, they needed it and what was in it to survive.

"I SAID OUT, OLD MAN!" Then he noticed the good-looking young woman in the back hidden behind a backpack. He was actually ready to start drooling all over himself while he thought of all the fun he was going to have with her every night. He was probably going to have to lock her up until she adapted to him. It would take time to play out but he was beginning to enjoy this version of a future. It looked like his life was going into the shitter until these people arrived at his trap.

It was taking too long; he bellowed at Jim, "I SAID OUT!" and pressed the gun farther into his ear. He now had most of his attention focused on the old man behind the wheel. He was no longer paying attention to the woman in the back seat. As far as he was concerned, she now belonged to him.

There was the tremendously loud sound of a gunshot and the crack of a bullet; Johanna screamed, terrified that he had actually shot her husband.

Jim instinctively clapped a hand over his ear that ended up pushing the thug's gun away from his ear. Glancing up at him, he could see that the thief had a look of total shock on his face. As Jim continued to watch, a red spot started to bloom bigger and bigger on his chest. Johanna had automatically covered both ears. The pain was terrible.

Then the thief lost control of his gun; it fell to the ground and he soon followed.

Johanna spun around to look at Katie since she had their gun. What she saw was her daughter sitting there with their gun in her hand; it was almost behind Jim's head. "Katie!" What had she done? Katie also had a hand over one of her ears from the pain of firing the gun inside the car.

Kate's face had a look on it like she'd just gotten caught sneaking a peek at all of her Christmas presents early and knew she was in really big trouble. Serious trouble! " **I'M SORRY, I HAD TO. HE WAS GOING TO KILL…** **KILL** **ALL OF US** **,** " she yelled since she could barely hear her own voice. She was thinking of saying he was going to kill Dad, when in reality he was probably going to kill all three of them. If he didn't kill her she was going to want to kill herself, she just knew it.

Johanna turned her attention to her husband. "Jim?" Was he all right? "JIM!" He wasn't even looking at her.

For Jim's part, the pain in his ear was almost debilitating. To say that his left ear hurt was an understatement. His ear wasn't ringing thankfully, however, besides the pain, he wasn't hearing much of anything at the moment.

"Jim?" This time Johanna grabbed hold of his arm and shook it. He turned to look at her. What she saw was a look of pain. " **ARE YOU ALRIGHT** **?** " she yelled. Like Kate, she could barely hear her own voice.

Jim ignored his wife for now and turned to look at his daughter. What he wanted to do was scream at her. It was just that the look on her face told him that she was about ready to begin crying and that softened his heart. It took him a few moments. " **GIVE ME THAT THING!** " He didn't need her shooting it next to his other ear, let alone every shooting it again. At least not in his lifetime.

Kate handed the gun over, trying to shrink back into her seat and disappear. She wasn't sorry she'd done it. She needed to protect her family. She just wasn't a fan of what it had cost her so far. She wasn't even really thinking of what she had done yet. Just that her parents were both angry with her.

Jim opened his door to check on the thug that had tried to either take everything they had or kill all of them. It wasn't hard to tell that he was certainly dead. A closer look had Jim betting that somehow his daughter had shot the guy right in the heart. He wasn't really knowledgeable about such things but without moving the body to look he was betting that the hole on the other side was a lot bigger. Possibly enough to actually blow his entire heart out of his body.

Jim ignored anything he had on him and began looking around to see if they'd attracted any unwanted attention. He saw nothing and no one coming. He chalked it up to it being New York where people didn't involve themselves in other people's business. Besides, everything had gone to hell.

Jim picked up the thief's gun and got back into the car. " **IS HE DEAD?** " Johanna asked loudly since her ears still hurt. Seeing Katie holding both of her hands over her ears told her it had affected everyone.

Jim ignored his wife for now and started driving. They still had a little ways to go.

+x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] + **X** \+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+

They couldn't park all that close so it had taken a lot of trips to transfer everything. Still they had managed and none of them had talked about what had happened…yet.

"Cast us off," Kate asked her parents as she started one of the engines so that they could leave the marina.

Her parents had talked about buying a cabin deep in the woods. They'd actually found one, though it needed a fair amount of TLC. Kate, however, had broached the idea about spending that money to buy a boat instead.

They'd balked at the idea at first until Kate had started listing off all the reasons a boat was a better choice than a house in the middle of nowhere. For one, the boat meant they could go new places. She had talked them into a boat that had sails by volunteering to take sailing lessons. "Sailing means we're more environmentally friendly. We don't have to rely on fuel to get around," had been another of Kate's reasons for the boat.

They had actually used it a number of times over the last three years. Jim and Johanna had even begun to get the hang of sailing.

It was a Catana 522 Ocean Class. It had a complete kitchen, a single bathroom with a shower, and two bedrooms, one of which had two twin beds that had become Kate's room. It was a 52 foot catamaran that was equipped with GPS, Log-speedometer, radio, depth sounder, repeater(s), VHF, TV, Radar, CD player, cockpit speakers, plotter, radar detector, navigation center, wind speed and direction, autopilot, AC, fresh water maker, inverter, generator, solar panel, cockpit shower, swimming ladder, and tender.

They hadn't really noticed that they were the only ones in the marina. Everyone, it seemed, had chosen to leave town either by car or by plane. They were just happy that no one was trying to stop them and that they'd actually made it.

They were just starting to pull out into the water when they heard the screaming. "There!" Kate pointed into town. All three of them looked. What they saw was a lot of people running for their lives.

"Watch where you're going, Katie." Johanna didn't need her to see this. She wasn't sure she needed to see it, either. Still she watched a few of them get over run, fall to the ground, and Johanna was sure she saw what was on TV. The person caught was swarmed, ripped to pieces, and eaten alive. In other cases they talked about a person that was bitten but escaped later died or in some way became one of them.

Johanna did her best to keep the contents of her stomach in place and turned away. It was too disgusting to watch. She did have someone she needed to care for, though. She turned to her husband. "How do you feel, babe?" There was no response. " **HOW DO YOU FEEL** **?** " She had to yell at him to get his attention.

" **I CAN BARELY HEAR A THING!** " Jim yelled back not realizing that he was practically screaming.

"I'm sorry," Kate said to them while she watched where she was going.

"It's okay, Katie. You probably saved all of us. We just need to find out what it has cost us." Johanna turned to Jim. "Go lie down and get some rest. I'll start unpacking our food and get it into the refrigerator." He didn't move. " **GO L** **IE** **DOWN** **,** **BABE, GET SOME REST!** " Johanna yelled and pushed him down the stairs to their stateroom. She would look in on him later. What they didn't have a lot of was medical supplies. There were some basic medical items, yes. But specialty items like antibiotics, plasma, or even saline bags, no. Hopefully his hearing wasn't that bad.

"Where do we go, Mom?" Kate inquired when Johanna came back to her before going downstairs to unpack.

"Just get us out into the Atlantic for now. Perhaps Martha's Vineyard or Nantucket. Hopefully it hasn't reached everywhere. We only have so much food. …Maybe your dad's dedication to fishing will come in handy." Eat fish instead of beef.

"And if those places are bad?" Did they have a plan since she didn't.

"One thing at a time, Katie. We eat one meal a day for now to make our food last longer. Just keep an eye on the controls and where we are going. Try and think of a place for us to stop for the night. Some place safe." Johanna squeezed her arm and headed below deck to begin unpacking.

"So we don't have a plan," Kate told herself after her mom left. "It's like one of those stupid movies," she muttered.

+x+ [- **O** -] +x+

Come morning, Jim woke up next to his wife, relieved that a lot of the pain was gone. But after he got up to go use the bathroom he saw a red spot on his pillow. He hurried to the bathroom. Once there he found drying blood in his left ear. He quickly cleaned it up before thinking about taking a shower.

Meanwhile Johanna woke up and saw the blood. "Jim!" He was missing and she didn't see him. "Jim! Where are you?" She was starting to panic and got out of bed. It was the sound of water running that had her moving to the bathroom.

She found him in the shower. "Jim?" Johanna knocked on the glass enclosure. "Jim?" She raised her voice until he finally turned to look at her.

+x+ [- **O** -] +x+

"So you can't hear anything at all in your left ear?" Kate was ready to begin crying; she was certain it was her fault. She was the one that had fired the weapon practically next to his left ear. She'd had no choice, though; it was about the only space where she could hit the guy with the shot.

"I'll be fine, Katie. Losing hearing in one ear is a small price to pay. You saved all of us from that guy. He was going to take everything we had. We would all be dead by now, or worse." His idea of worse was ending up one of _those._

"I'm still sorry." Kate truly wished there had been another way. "What do we do now?" They had talked about how much food they had and what they didn't have. They had things that always got left on the boat. It was just that the boat was meant to get from one place to another. It was not meant to be lived on forever in the middle of the Atlantic or anywhere else. They needed somewhere to go.

"We stay on course, sweetheart. Martha's Vineyard or Nantucket. Pull up your maps of the area and show us our options. Those two islands are the biggest I can think of at the moment. Maybe too large." Johanna feared greatly that the bigger the island the better the chance _it_ had reached them.

"Maybe one of the smaller islands in the area. We can anchor offshore and take the dingy in search of supplies or help. …Or information. Have we tried the TV yet?" Johanna queried and saw two shaking heads.

"I can try our radio. See if anyone is in the area. Maybe one of those mega yachts is around here. They might know more," Kate suggested.

"We have spare sails, don't we?" Johanna was pretty sure they did.

"One of each, yes. We just haven't had much practice in changing one." None actually. They had taken a class but never actually changed one as a crew. They wouldn't have had even that had Kate not insisted that they go.

"One day at a time. We conserve our food and perform maintenance on the boat. This is home now." At least Johanna still had her family and that was what was important.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hunter and Hunted**

 **Chapter Two**

Rick woke up in his bed this time and started to roll over. Doing this, however, stretched a couple of his new scars and he groaned softly from the pain. "I really need to find a new job," he muttered. He knew that was never going to happen, but he could dream, right?

Still it was time for a quick shower then up to the bridge where he'd get a handle on what his next job would be. It wasn't that he needed the money, since technically money in almost any form that anyone old enough to remember, was literally useless. Everything was paid by barter these days.

People wanted or needed things. If you had it already you were good to go. If you didn't, you went looking for it or worked to earn it. Also you never knew just what someone would want. As a result one of his small cargo holds was filled with what someone would call junk. It was just that what was junk to one was a treasure to another. You just had to be careful deciding what really was junk and what might actually be worth something.

He had just the one shower, though he did have two bedrooms. If they could be called bedrooms. Each room held a bed that was slightly larger than a common twin bed on one wall. The opposite wall in his room held a fold-down table. He pulled the small chair out of the corner to use it. Then there were the twin closets to either side that held most of his clothes. Since he lived alone he was using the spare bedroom as a storage space. Its two closets held the rest of his clothes. If the table was down there was no way to maneuver around it unless you actually walked on the bed, or so it felt. Space was at a premium so every little nook and cranny was used for something.

Stepping out of his room naked, he turned into the bathroom and avoided looking in the mirror. He always hated looking at his reflection right after he got up. It was his ugly time as far as he was concerned. A quick 3 minute shower to conserve water, and he was finishing getting ready before going back into his room to get dressed.

Now that he was ready he went back out into the hallway and out into the main living area. It was the largest area he had. It served as his living room, dining room, kitchen, viewing room, game area, and overall common area.

Off of this area were stairs leading up and down. Down took you to the engineering section and both of his cargo holds. Up led to a small viewing room where you could actually look outside. It was one of two sections that held Plexisteel. It was a glass that was stronger than ordinary bulletproof glass. It was also several times thinner. Also up there was the computer room, medical bay, and bridge. The computer room took up most of the space. The medical bay only had the one bed and the bridge was more cockpit than bridge. Past the door were several control panels and monitors. In front was the lone pilot's seat.

Rick looked over all of the displays before stepping down into his seat and settling in. This was the only other area of the ship that held that same glass. He also had a couple of monitors that could be changed to monitor every section of the ship.

After powering everything up, he said, "Good morning, Alexis. Anything happen last night?"

"Hi, Dad! I have no new contacts on my scans. The Xindi carrier is right where you left it." Alexis saw herself smiling as she kept looking over everything both inside the ship and outside it.

It had taken a lot of getting used to. She didn't really see anything, though she knew just where everything was. She heard everything inside and outside the ship as well. But she could no longer smell or taste anything. She saw herself walking from one section of the ship to the next even if she actually didn't. She could even see herself sitting next to him to watch a movie together. Another thing she needed to get used to was never sleeping. Oh, she could see herself closing her eyes and resting. She even had what she considered dreams. It was just that when anything happened her eyes snapped open and she started looking everywhere.

It was different but hands down, it beat being dead. Or worse and there was worse. A whole lot worse.

"Life signs?" Rick inquired.

"The carrier is clear. You finished clearing it out yesterday. There are no life signs of any kind inside it. Even every fighter is empty. Nice work, Dad!" She had watched him earn a living over the past year.

She had thought he was nuts when he had taken this job. Yes it paid a lot, if you could call what he had asked for as payment. She still didn't see what he was going to do with that _stuff._ The only good side she could find was that their cargo hold areas had the space for it. She hoped…since she had no idea how much space it was going to take up.

Her dad didn't seem concerned so neither was she. It was just that a Xindi carrier held well over one thousand people on it. It had taken him the last two weeks to kill every one, well everything really, on board it. Now they were waiting for his payment to arrive. She had sent out the signal yesterday.

"Yeah, it'll be good to be paid. I have big plans for that stuff, big plans." Rick was sure it would all work out. He just needed to get there and find his guy still living.

Rick had earned a number of contacts and friends over the years. He even knew what a lot of them loved the most and what he could get in return.

"Just what are Proto Crystals?" She couldn't find any mention of them in her memory.

That was another thing she had had to get used to. Her memory of things was now almost limitless compared to what she used to know. She had also had to get used to how to access all that memory.

The first few months had been hell for her. She felt like she was floating in nothing. She couldn't touch anything, see anything, and only ever heard anything. The sensory deprivation had been hell. It was only listening to her dad, day after day. His encouragement had gotten her to reach out.

That was when she found that she actually could see things. Things she had never even dreamed about before. Her natural curiosity and willingness to learn new things had gotten her through it all.

Still she was alive!

"Proto Crystals, daughter of mine, are going to get us a new ship. Bigger, better, faster, and potentially more heavily armed. Just cross your fingers that my guy is still there." Rick had made a deal. He got him the crystals, handed over almost everything on this ship, and it was his.

"Okay, I'll bite. What ship?" Her curiosity was fully engaged now.

Rick started smiling since he was sure he was a genius. "It's a relatively new, hardly ever been used, Schwinge's Tetrahedron Superyacht," he stated proudly. Getting his hands on one was going to be his biggest deal yet.

Well, next to getting Alexis back, that is. Nothing was ever going to top that.

That had Alexis racing through her memory to try and find all the information she could on this ship. "Schwinge's Tetrahedron… Schwinge's Tetrahedron." Alexis thought she was talking to herself while she searched, she never noticed that she was actually speaking aloud.

Rick smiled widely; this wasn't the first time Alexis had been caught actually talking to herself while not noticing that she was doing so. It was deliciously satisfying to him. He had surprised her.

"IT'S A YACHT!" Alexis had found it. Now she was reading as fast as she could so she could learn all there was about it. That was another thing she had learned. She was now a really fast reader. A 300 page book that might have taken her two days to read, was now read in just a few minutes.

"It's a pyramid, Dad! A flying pyramid! We can even land on water if we wanted to." Now Alexis was trying to find just what this thing could really do. She quickly learned that various areas of the pyramid at what would be water level, actually folded out to become a deck just above the water. All three sides could. And they could extend sails out from the deck above to create shade. There were three different pullouts on two sides.

"It has a boat dock. Space or water. This is so cool!" Alexis was loving it. The more she read the more she loved it. The bridge was one deck down from the uppermost level and it had glass on all three sides.

The computer was incredibly large. It was housed in the floor of the bridge. Her dad would literally be walking on her when he was there. In another life that might have pissed her off. In this life it meant her dad was even closer to her.

The living room was much bigger as was everything else. There was even an entire deck dedicated to bedrooms, each with its own bathroom.

Then Alexis saw a problem with this plan, as great as it was. "Um, Dad…, it's not armed. It's a civilian yacht." In another life this thing was amazing. In this life this thing looked like a death trap. An extremely pleasant and beautiful place, but still a death trap.

"Yeah, I know." Rick knew that was a problem, but he had a solution for that as well. He just needed to make sure that the engineering section could create the power to use it.

"YOU KNOW! WHAT THE HECK, DAD?" Alexis was convinced he was trying to get them both killed. He was nuts. He had finally cracked. Blown a fuse, something.

"Have a little faith, Alexis, have a little faith." He knew just what to arm it with. He just had to get what that guy would want for it and get it installed.

"I'm listening." She knew this ship wasn't going anywhere if she didn't want it to. Her dad might be in command, but she had control over everything.

Rick was a little hurt. His own daughter didn't trust him. Still she had a right to know. Besides if it worked out he was betting even she would love the plan.

"I know a guy who either has or can get his hands on a McKenzie beam," he said and waited for it. She was either going to think he was a genius, or she was going to rip him a new one.

That piece of information had Alexis racing again to find all she could on what the hell a McKenzie beam was. "McKenzie beam… McKenzie beam." Alexis was talking to herself once more and Rick was smiling all over again.

Alexis finally found it and she was sure her eyes opened wide and her mouth fell open. However, that was only after she found the information on just what kind of damage a McKenzie beam could do.

"HOLY CRAP, DAD!" Rick started to softly chuckle. His daughter had found it.

"I was thinking it could go at the top of the pyramid. It would have better than a 360 degree firing angle. All we would need to do was spin the ship a little to change the angle if needed." Rick explains his thinking.

"It's an antiproton beam! One or two shots would destroy that Xindi carrier we're still sitting next to. Any unshielded ship would be holed in one shot." Alexis was impressed. If, and that was a big IF, her dad could actually get his hands on one.

"Which leads to my next question. This yacht you want us to get is **not** shielded. A Xindi gunship could blow holes in us. It's a civilian yacht, not a military ship." This was another potential problem that her dad needed to explain.

True, the ship they were in now didn't have shields. It was part civilian and part military, though. It was at least armed and had much heavier armor than this new ship was going to have.

Alexis was back to thinking her dad had lost his mind. Perhaps she needed to try and convince him to go to medical and lie down on the bed so she could scan him. Maybe something had happened on the Xindi carrier that neither one of them had noticed.

Rick slapped a hand on his chest. "You wound me, daughter. Oh the pain, the searing pain. It's going to kill me." He actually slumped in his pilot's chair while they waited for his payment to arrive.

"Hmph. Grams would **not** be impressed." Her late grandmother was a much better actress than her dad obviously was.

Rick sat forward quickly and reached for his back. "And one in the back, too! You're in rare form today. You could at least pull that one out for me," he said while trying to hide his smile.

"Not even if I could," Alexis replied with deadly seriousness. Her dad needed to explain. Especially how he had come up with this plan without her noticing him doing it. There was only one place on this ship that she couldn't monitor and that was the bathroom. With that in mind, she quickly reviewed just how long or how often he used that room as well as what he had taken with him into that space.

However, this entire exchange brought up a point that Rick wanted to make sure of. "Alexis!" He had a question, a very important question. Yes, he'd asked it before and he was probably going to ask it several more times. He was her father, it was his job to worry.

"Yes?" Alexis was listening.

"Are you sure you're happy where you are?" Rick had done it without her consent. Not that she had been in any way able to give her consent at the time. It was just that he couldn't bear to lose her. It would have destroyed him.

"I'm fine, Dad, honest." Her life was different now, but at least she was alive.

"You're sure? I mean I know you were just 12 years old at the time and it's only been a year, I think." He was now worried that he had missed a birthday and that concerned him greatly.

"I'm fine, really. I don't want to die and I don't want to be one of _them."_ Alexis was satisfied with how things were. Since she didn't actually sleep she'd had time to think about it. Yes, she missed things. She knew where things were even if she didn't actually see them. She even knew what it all looked like. She didn't have any friends any longer, but then she was pretty sure her friends were either dead or worse.

Life itself had gone straight into the shitter during the last few years. It had actually spread amazingly fast. At least in this form she was never going to become one of them. It was physically impossible. So long as there was someone to perform maintenance on her and she had power, she was going to live a really long time. Far longer than she was ever going to before.

"I promise you, I'm fine." She had a dream, or more wish really. But she also knew what the odds were of it ever happening. Especially not with how things were now.

"I'm scanning a jump portal forming. It's ninety degrees to our starboard side. Basically right in front of the Xindi carrier," Alexis quickly announced and sensed her dad using his screens to watch it. "Scanning… It's a Xindi destroyer," she informed him. "This is interesting." She had already done a complete scan of the new ship.

Rick waited patiently for his daughter to relay what she had learned.

"It's a first generation destroyer. It doesn't even have artificial gravity. It's only armaments are missiles and its hull is old. Like really old. I'm scanning where certain sections of the hull, while thicker than normal today, are missing. It's a relic and in bad shape. If this is our payment, even we could destroy this ship. They might manage to do some damage to us, but it wouldn't be much." Alexis was not the least bit impressed.

"Dad… There are less than one hundred life signs onboard." That was another shock.

"A skeleton crew…interesting. Let's see if they want to talk." Rick opened up communications with the new ship. "This is Richard Castle to Xindi destroyer. I have completed my part of our deal. Your carrier is now clean of any infected personal. Did you bring the required payment as part of our deal?" Rick really want to get his payment, make his jump, and go get his new ship.

A video message showed up on one of his monitors. He had seen a Xindi before, but only in pictures. This guy looked even uglier than the pictures. As per a typical Xindi, he looked like a dog or maybe more accurately a werewolf, seeing as how they walked on two legs but kept all the wolf traits he was familiar with. He had small patches of fur missing and some of his fur was gray, especially on his muzzle. He had even had nasty-looking scar that hadn't healed well. It started on his forehead, ran down the side of his snout and then disappeared.

He growled menacingly and showed Rick his impressive canine teeth. Their speech was all growls, huffs, and barks. He heard his mechanical translator. It was a monotone but Rick could tell he thought talking with him was an insult.

"Filthy human. I would prefer to rip your heart out and crush it. Your body isn't even worth feeding to my pups." He intended to make sure Rick knew who was in charge here.

"Just put my payment into containers, eject them into space, and I'll leave you alone with your dead ship." In several ways the carrier really was dead. He had done his best not to damage it too much as he killed off all the infected Xindi that were onboard it. While he had done some damage, the infected Xindi had done a fair amount of damage on their own. Still the job was worth it.

He started barking and was even spitting at him. "Your worthless crystals are being ejected… **now**. Pick them up and leave my space before I change my mind and destroy you." He had received his orders, and while he didn't like them, it did mean his people were getting back one of the carriers, and they really need more warships, BADLY!

"I'm reading eight canisters being ejected out into space, Dad. Each is about the size of a coffin. You're going to have a difficult time fitting them all into our cargo hold." Alexis wasn't expecting them to be this big.

"We don't want the coffins, we just want the canisters that are inside them. Still this is going to take a little time. Hopefully our new friend over there is willing to wait. Keep an eye on him and give him a warning shot right across his proud snout if necessary." Rick got out of his seat, went down to suit up, then go out and get them.

His suit had cost him a lot, but it wasn't just a space suit. It was a military combat suit, impervious to all known forms of gas attacks. He could last a few hours out in space if necessary. It had jets attached to its boots that provided a limited number of jumps. It had a mini-gun attached to his right arm that was fed from canisters located at his waist. The armor itself was impervious to all conventional weapons such as the Xindi had. It was old and well used, though it worked perfectly. Best of all the infected on that carrier couldn't actually reach him. Not unless they found a way to breach his suit.

However, it was necessary to go through decontamination three times after each trip. One was a sonic wash, another was an antibiotic pressure mister, and the last was an old-fashioned water wash using everything he had that could kill almost anything. It wasn't until that was all over that he could get out of it and enter his own ship.

The infection was spread any number of ways. You didn't actually have to be bitten or scratched by an infected to be infected. And that was if they didn't get to keep you, rip you open, and eat you alive.

The universe had gone to hell, that was certain.

It took Rick a little time. All Alexis saw were a few shuttles leaving the destroyer and landing on the carrier. Other than that they did nothing.

"I wondered if it was all bluster," Rick commented after Alexis advised him of all that had happened. "Set a course for the Agamar system. Let's go get us a new ship." He could actually see his big dream starting to become a reality.

An instant later Alexis opened up a jump portal and arrived where they wanted to be in a moment.

She'd already learned before all this that **F** aster **T** han **L** ight travel (FTL) was impossible. But that didn't mean you couldn't get around. You just needed a jump or fold drive as it was sometimes called.

It only took a moment to get from one place to another. The early drives had a distance restriction. The newer drives did not, though there was still one restriction: you never, ever, wanted to jump near or travel through a black hole along the way. The results were bad for whoever.

If it was necessary you did several jumps just to avoid the cursed things.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hunter and Hunted**

 **Chapter Three**

Rick signaled his request to approach and got a confirmation, telling him which air lock to connect to. "On my way." He was more than ready to change ships.

Once he was docked he shut most systems down and got up out of his seat. "Transfer yourself into the drive, Alexis." He was going to take her with him when he left the ship. He waited until he saw all greens and then pulled the drive and carried it with him.

He opened the air lock and got the reception he was anticipating. Bee was right there and heavily armed. "BEE! You look as sexy as ever." Rick was happy to see her. Especially happy that she wasn't yet infected.

"Get your sexy lying ass in here, Castle." Bee lowered a weapon that was almost as big as she was. "Did you bring it?" She really wanted her payment.

Rick reached down, picked up a small container, and handed it to her before he stepped inside her station. "I chose one at random. You wanted 72 canisters; I got you 81 of them." He was hoping she would explain what she needed them for or just what they were.

"You sexy flirt, what do you want for the extra?" She was more than willing to take the extra off his hands but knew he would want something for them in return.

"Two things… well three, really. One, I want to be able to plug this drive into the ship's computer system so it can run a complete diagnostic. Not that I don't trust you, but I want a second opinion."

"You're too smart for your own good. If you didn't have such a fine ass I would tell you what you could do with your three items." She nodded decisively. "Done, what else?" He wasn't asking her for much in return so far.

"Second, I want the best lead you have on who to see to get a McKenzie Beam installed on this ship." Rick knew who had one but he couldn't install it for him.

"Ooo, a McKenzie Beam. Those aren't easy to find and even fewer know how to install it into an existing system." Bee knew just the person but wanted to make Rick sweat.

"What's the third?" He had nine extra canisters and he had almost used up all nine already.

"I need a lead to find as much of this chemical as I can lay my hands on." Rick gave her his hand-sized pad so she could read it.

"This is a nasty drug, Castle, very nasty. Please tell me you are not addicted to this crap." Suddenly Bee feared for him in a way that actually shocked her. Did she really care what happened to him this much?

"It's not for me," Rick assured her. "The guy who has the McKenzie Beam wants tons of this stuff, so I need to know where a lot of it can be obtained one way or another. I'm hoping this ship has enough cargo space to hold that much." He hadn't seen it yet. It was just a little over twice the size of the ship he had now so he was hopeful.

"You may need to load it in more public spaces but there's enough space. As to where you can get this much, I know just the place." Bee was thankful it wasn't for Castle but it left her wondering just what the guy that had his Beam needed that much for.

"We have a deal then?" This was the next step in his dream.

"Be thankful I like you so much. Yes, we have a deal. Follow me and I'll take you to your new ship." Bee started walking and held her weapon close to her.

"Do I want to know how you got this ship?" He doubted that Bee would steal it outright. Perhaps charge someone far more than she needed to, yes, but not outright steal it.

"The previous owner no longer has any use for it. It comes _as is,_ you know. That includes all the junk that he left in the ship." Bee thought it was junk. Everything else had been stripped out of it to use as barter for something else.

"I'll fix what's broken or find someone who can fix it or replace it." Rick was willing to take it as is right after Alexis ran a complete diagnostic on it.

He eventually found himself climbing up a utilitarian metal ladder until they reached an air lock that Bee opened and climbed up. "This is the only airlock I have that matches what this ship has. Plus because of its shape it works out the best."

Rick followed her into the ship and watched as lights started coming on. "This is the engineering section. Well, the lowest section of engineering. To either side are the engines for normal thrust to get you from planet to planet in the same system," Bee explained. It looked familiar and different all at the same time. He now knew he was going to need to do some reading to understand this ship.

"This way." Bee began walking and Rick soon realized that the artificial gravity was operational.

"There are four transit pods. One on each side and one dead center. Only the one in the center can reach the bridge." Bee took him to the one in the center. She stood at the door and waited for a moment until it opened. "Bridge," she called out.

"Voice and movement censors?" Rick was a little impressed.

"The pod has manual controls, if you prefer. You can even lock out all voices save for the ones you approve," she said.

A moment later the door opened and the lights started to come on. "WOW!" He was used to his very small bridge that was little more than a large cockpit. This was a real bridge. Since it was actually a personal yacht it actually had empty space. Space that on a space ship was considered wasted space.

"Plug in your program over there and I'll give you the tour." Bee was sure he was going to take it, but she still needed to sell it.

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"You're the best, Bee! Try not to get yourself killed or worse." Rick bent down to her level and kissed the top of her head.

"You make me wish I was human." She would take him to her bed in a heartbeat if they were in any way compatible. "Let me know if you need anything. You know my price." This was the closest she could come to wishing him luck.

"Yell if you need help. Once I get the McKenzie Beam installed I'll help you in any way I can," Rick said since until this ship was armed he couldn't do much of anything.

"And charge me an arm and a leg I'm sure," Bee teased since she would do the same. "Come back in one piece, Castle. This Universe needs more like you." The Universe was getting smaller and smaller all the time… and their side was losing.

Rick watched her enter the air lock and felt his heart clinch a little. She really was what he would call one of her best friends. He might not even charge her an arm and a leg if she did actually need help some day.

He watched the lights turn green. "How are we doing, Alexis?" She had been plugged in for a few days at this point.

"Did she tell you this ship has a few maintenance drones? I've got all of them out fixing things. This ship needs help," Alexis told him now that they were alone. Only her dad really needed to know that she existed or where she resided.

"Still it's a nice ship," she admitted. "The main systems are operational. The air should finally be clean in a few hours." She couldn't actually smell the air since she didn't breathe it. However, her scans told her that the air was a little dirty and her imagination had no trouble smelling it.

Rick was soon up on the bridge. He'd spent the last few days transferring all the stuff that was really his out of his old ship and into this one. He had little doubt that Bee already had a buyer for his old ship.

"Set a course, Alexis. We need to start finding as much of this chemical as we can so we can get the Beam and get it installed." After that they would see what came next.

"Course set. Bee knows it as PX-2356, but records show the locals call it Earth. I think that means dirt. Three quarters of the planet are water. Mostly salt water." Alexis didn't get it. Why call a planet that was mostly water, dirt?

Rick shrugged. "Just so long as it has what we need. We can sit in orbit while you scan and tell me about this planet. First question: since we're not armed, is this place a risk to us?"

"This planet does not yet have space flight. They're no risk to us." Alexis had already made sure of that. "The question I can't answer is whether the infection has reached this system or not."

"Just get us there, we'll figure it out." Rick was satisfied.

"Jump engines are online. Stand-by for jump. …Jumping." Alexis activated the system.

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It had been a week and they were getting a lot better at sailing. They were also feeling the pinch of hunger due to eating just one meal a day. Right now they were traveling up the far northwest side of the island, headed for Menemsha. They needed propane and food, mostly. Up to this point the weather had cooperated and been mostly calm.

Jim was up with Kate and had the binoculars out. "I don't see much on this north shore. I've actually only seen two houses so far. They looked like really nice ones. Nice and big but nothing else, including no movement." It was mostly a whole lot of sand. He lowered them until they got a little farther along.

They'd begun to go a little more southeast now so he raised the binoculars again. "I've got a lot more houses now. Really big and well designed ones, too...Still no movement and unless we want to start searching houses, I see nothing." He lowered them back down again.

Johanna joined them carrying a tray with drinks on it. "It's powdered lemonade but it tastes pretty good." She handed them out and set Katie's down where she could reach it. "Anything yet?"

Jim shook his head. "Just some scattered houses. Big ones but nothing we're looking for so far. Maybe we're on the wrong side." Kate had picked this course and he was still second-guessing her choice.

"Give it a chance, Dad. The island isn't that big. We can easily go all the way around if we have to." They were at least close to land now. They had seen nothing but water for a little while now.

Jim raised his binoculars again. "There – what's that? It looks like an inlet. Maybe a marina." He handed them over to Johanna for her to look.

"It's an inlet for sure. Kind of narrow looking." That was the part Johanna hated most. "Lots of rocks, too." Not something they wanted to hit and put a hole in their boat.

"We'll have to lower the sails and go in using the engines," Kate advised. "See anything else?" Was there a reason to go in there?

Johanna spoke up. "Can you sail us past the opening, Katie? Maybe if we were closer we could spot something. We can turn around and come back if we have to."

Johanna waited for Kate to get them closer. She was almost going to hit the rocks as they sail by. "It's a marina, all right. I can see some boats. Nothing our size, they're all smaller.

"I've got a Shell gas station. They might have propane tanks or we can fill ours. I've got what looks like a fish market just down the road a little from the Shell station. I can see a much larger building deeper into the marina. Not sure what it is.

"There are a number of houses and what looks like stores. Maybe one of them's a market." She handed the binoculars back to her husband.

Jim tried to come up with a plan. "There's a dock just inside the inlet. We could tie up there and walk into the area. Start with that Shell station first, maybe. If we can find keys perhaps we can drive a little. Load up the car and race back here."

"Put the sails down. I'll start the motor." Kate was willing to give it a try.

With the sails secured, Kate carefully and slowly took them over to the dock that was right up front, well away from everything. It meant a good walk just to reach the Shell station.

"I don't see any movement. There are some empty docks deeper inside the marina if we want to risk it instead of searching for a car," Jim said.

"Provided this place is actually infected. They might simply all be in hiding." Johanna took the binoculars back from her husband. "I think there are two fish markets and this entire side has space to dock at if we want to risk it." She lowered them as Kate pulled them up along side.

"Why don't you tie us up, just in one spot in case we need to run for it," Kate suggested and watched her parents go down and her dad got out to tie them to the dock.

Jim took his weapon with him as they slowly walked down the dock to reach the Shell station.

They found no one inside or out. "Propane bottles!" Kate spied them inside a mesh enclosure next to the building. "It's locked. We need keys or something to force it open." They'd hit their first snag.

"Maybe it has tools." Jim started looking around. "It's got a convenience mart inside." He saw food and drinks and beer.

"Katie and I will take the store while you work on the propane bottles." Johanna went inside with Kate. "Plastic bags behind the counter. All you can grab. Look for food only and maybe some coffee; we don't need any of the drinks." They were too heavy if they needed to run for any reason.

It took a little while but Kate and Johanna emerged with hands full of loaded plastic bags, just in time to see Jim pull out two propane tanks. "Let's get out of here, this place gives me the creeps." He picked up both propane bottles and began walking toward the boat.

They were only about halfway back when he had to stop. The weight of the bottles was making his hands hurt. "Keep going, I'll catch up. Just let me get some blood moving again." He flexed his fingers and shook his hands.

Johanna and Kate dropped their bags at the first opportunity. Nothing they had taken required refrigeration. Then Johanna went back out to help her husband.

"Now what? There's still more in the Shell station." Johanna was wondering if they should push their luck.

"How about this: one more trip and then we decide, Jo. Perhaps move down to that first fish market with the boat. Katie can stay with the boat and keep it off the dock a little. We can go inside and look, throw what we find onboard and jump if we have to. If we're fast enough, no one catches us."

Johanna thought it beat walking the entire way. What if the infected were faster than they were?

One more trip and they now had four propane bottles and a lot of dry goods, including canned vegetables. "Mom, did you notice that the hot dogs on that heater looked like they were all dried up and burnt?" They looked a lot like prunes rolling on the heated rollers to her.

"Maybe no one has been inside in a while," Johanna mused. "Jim, if everyone on the island's infected how long will the power last?" It wasn't going to stay on forever.

"I don't know. A few days, weeks at best. Definitely not longer, not around here." He was betting the power here was generated by either natural gas or maybe even simple diesel.

"We all take propane bottles this time," Jim said. Propane was how they cooked and kept their refrigerator working.

He was the only one that could begin to handle two bottles at the same time. They made two trips and eventually emptied the cage they'd been stored in. They scored eleven 20-pound propane bottles.

"Fish market next? After I catch my breath and get my hands working again." They were red and just a little white and they ached fiercely from carrying all those propane bottles.

Eventually they found themselves next to the dock just the other side of what was called _Larsens Fish Market._ There was another one just down the dock called _Menemsha Fish Market._ It was much larger, however, it had boats tied up next to the dock just outside of it. They could get a little closer but not much.

Johanna didn't want her coming with them. "Stay here, Katie, and keep the engine running. If you see us running I want you to gun it. We'll jump for it and swim if we have to. Then race us out to sea."

"Please be careful." She didn't want to lose either one of them. They were all she had.

The second Jim opened the door with the gun in his other hand, he pinched his nostrils closed. "Smells like someone died." He went inside, holding his gun out in front of him and looking everywhere.

It wasn't that big and it looked to be more of a restaurant than a grocery store. "The food's gone bad." Johanna walked up to the display cases that held food in metal bins. "It looks like the power's still on. Let's check the walk-ins see if any of it's still good." She found a way around the counter and into the back where the actual kitchen was located. "Over here, Jim." She found the walk-in and waited for her husband. He had his weapon trained on the door and watched her open it. They felt the cold that was inside it come roaring out.

"Jackpot!" They'd struck pay dirt. "Put that away and pick up a case and take it to the boat." Johanna walked inside and saw lots of produce and pointed at one for her husband to take. She moved a little farther in and opened the freezer door.

Inside were cases labeled with words like flounder, striped bass, cod, mako, salmon, swordfish, shrimp, mussels, and oysters. Johanna smiled as she picked up a box and carried it to the boat.

That was where she found that Kate had moved in closer as her husband stepped off the boat and onto the dock to go back for another trip.

Their refrigerator just wasn't big enough to hold it all so they had to stop and pick up other items like bread that wasn't moldy yet.

They chose to go back out of the marina and stop just outside of it. Too far away for anyone to jump into the boat but not far enough away that they couldn't go back inside to get more. Provided the power lasted.

Their kitchen cabinets were now stuffed to overflowing. They'd had to leave bags filled with things laying out all over. They were even tripping over the excess propane bottles that littered their boat.

"I'd complain about the lack of space if I wasn't so happy about it." Jim was smiling broadly. "It leaves me wondering what happened to everyone. Martha's Vineyard isn't that big of an island. Yes, people come here but what happened?" The TV was filled with nothing and Katie had gotten no one on the radio when she had tried.

Granted she hadn't tried lately or very often, so it was possible that no one was listening at the time. "Now what?" They were here and their boat was loaded with supplies now.

"We stay a couple of days maybe and then move to a smaller island? There are smaller island around here, aren't there?" Johanna looked at Kate.

She hurried down to the main bridge with her parents following her. "There's Cuttyhunk island, Nashawena island, Pasque island, and Naushon island which is almost as big as Martha's Vineyard. After that we're back on the mainland. Or we go around to Nantucket island." Kate pointed at all of them.

Jim told them his choice. "Cuttyhunk looks to be the smallest of them. The bigger question, though, is where do we go when it starts to get cold up here? And what do we do when the power goes out everywhere?" Islands were just not that self-sustaining. Using their boat to get away had been a good idea. But where did they want to stay long term?


	4. Chapter 4

**Hunter and Hunted**

 **Chapter Four**

"I've finally got another inlet." Jim had been up top with his daughter as they traveled to the northern most tip of the Martha's Vineyard. They had feared they'd used up their luck at the last location and so had moved on to search more of the island. After leaving and heading north, all Jim had seen was a whole lot of nothing. Not even one single house. "People do live here, right?" he'd commented dryly. Kate knew he was speaking rhetorically and wasn't really looking for an answer so she had said nothing.

Just like last time Kate did her best to sail in close and cross the front of this inlet.

"I don't see anything. Definitely man-made. It's just that this one doesn't look like it is being used except maybe a few homes deeper inside. I say we pass on this one and keep going." Jim put his binoculars down and watched as Kate took them back out to sea.

"I'm getting some more houses now. One looks really big. Easily 5,000 square feet." Jim was impressed. They had just kept going and now they were starting down the eastern side of the island.

"It looks like a big bay, Dad. There's land farther to the east." She didn't need to binoculars to see that.

"Keep going, I think I see something promising." Jim urged her on just as Johanna showed up with dinner.

"You two are busy so I thought we would eat up here tonight. Find anything else yet?" She had kept herself busy in the kitchen and hadn't poked her head out much.

"Looks like another marina is coming up soon. I can see a man-made barrier and a lot of buildings beyond." Jim glanced at Kate. "Is it too deep to drop anchor here and spend the night?"

"We'll need to get a little closer to do that unless you want me to put it on autopilot. It'll cost us some fuel." That was the only down side that Kate saw.

"FUEL!" Jim was ready to kick himself. "I didn't even think of that at that marina. I was so caught up on getting propane that I didn't even think of it." He proceeded to kick himself anyway.

"It's okay, babe, none of us did. I'm not sure where we would put any extra that we got anyway. I still don't see how we're still floating with as much weight as we've added." Johanna was smiling while she said it.

Kate countered her thinking, not noting that her mother was joking. "We're a cat, Mom. Until the pontoons develop holes and start flooding, we'll always stay afloat."

They got in closer, pulled down the sails, and got even closer by engine alone.

"What's that big one over there?" Jim pointed to a much bigger ship that was docked.

"That, Jim, is a ferry. I wonder where it goes." Johanna pointed, "Off to the left, Katie. I see a dock that we can either tie up to or get closer to and drop anchor." They needed to get there and fast since dinner was getting cold.

Kate chose to only get just so close and had her dad drop the anchor. They were still several yards away from any dock, let alone that one. Eating their dinner was next on the list of things to do.

Unfortunately none of them got much sleep. Tonight was their first night spending time close to a town. Worry about what was in that town had them awake. Worse were the sounds they did or even thought that they heard.

"What's that noise?" Jim heard it again.

"Go to sleep, Jim. Unless they can swim they can't reach us." Johanna was thinking of the infected.

"Not them. I mean what if there's a gang in that town and they want this boat?" That was what had Jim awake.

"Why would they want this boat? There are boats all over this place, not to mention that big ferry." Johanna didn't see cause to worry.

Jim kept quiet but was sure he was never going to get any sleep as he listened to each and every noise that was made. Even if it was their own boat making it.

Kate had never seen her room look like this. They had gathered so much stuff and she only used one of the twin beds to sleep in, so the other was piled up high with a lot of the canned and packaged food and other goodies that they had gotten from the Shell station.

Every time the boat moved a little so did something in the pile. She was beginning to think of trying to sleep somewhere else. It was just the more she thought about it the more she knew the rest of the boat was just as crowded with supplies. "So why are we here if we don't need more supplies?" she wondered. They had even filled the little coolers they had with frozen seafood. It wouldn't keep long but it gave them something to eat while what was in their refrigerator and freezer could remain untouched.

It did have Kate smiling a little. They had food now and lots of it. However, her dad was right. They should have gotten a couple of cans of marine gas while they could. It wouldn't take long to go back if they wanted to. But maybe this place had gas that was close.

None of them noticed when they finally went to sleep for the night.

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"We've arrived, Dad. I'm putting us in orbit over one of the bigger continents for now." She could adjust the orbit later after she had done some scans.

Rick moved over to a different station and started scanning. "We don't have any shuttles so we're going to need to land somewhere. See if you can scan for the chemicals we're after then we can decide where to land. Preferably on water where I can do some swimming.

"Got it." Alexis began scanning while at the same time she started wishing that she still had a body. Going swimming in a nice warm ocean sounded nice. To lay out in the sun doing nothing, while trying to get a tan.

"Dad?" Alexis needed someone to talk to and her dad was all she had.

"Find something already?" Damn she was fast.

"No, it's just…" Alexis trailed off as her resolve to talk about it faded.

"Just what?" Rick hadn't heard her talk like this since before… well, before she became nothing but a thought, a program in a computer. "Just what? Talk to me, sweetheart."

"We've got this beautiful yacht and I can't do anything." Alexis was ready to cry over her situation all over again.

Rick lowered his head. It had been hell once Alexis had figured out what had happened and realized that she had a lot of limitations in her life now. She was effectively trapped inside a computer.

He was ready to collapse when it occurred to him that he had opened up his big mouth about going swimming. It was something he could do and something his daughter would never get to do again. He'd bought this ship partly for himself. But he had also bought it for her. To try and add to her life just a little. He did have one ace up his sleeve, though. Problem was it was still a few weeks away.

"I know, pumpkin, I know and I'm sorry. I've got a plan if you're willing to wait a little." He had wanted to surprise her. He had them and had been doing his best to hide them. Getting this ship was part of that plan.

"Plan, what plan? …Dad, what plan?" Alexis wasn't big on waiting. Plus it sounded like her dad was holding out on her and that was beginning to piss her off.

"I have a big mouth." Rick sat down in the chair instead of standing.

"DADDY, what plan?" To Alexis she was actually giving him her best puppy dog look that she could. If that didn't work she was starting to think of having an actual temper tantrum.

Rick knew that voice and knew it well. He never could resist her and wasn't sure he ever wanted to be able to. "I was saving it for your birthday present." He sighed heavily. "But now is a good time. I'll just have to think of a different birthday present."

He gave her a clue. "Scan your memory for Kelley optics." Alexis raced to find all she could about the topic.

"Kelley optics… Kelley optics invented… REALLY, DAD?!" She'd put two and two together and had come up with an answer.

"I have 24 of them hidden away. I just need time to install them all and route the wiring back to the computer for you to use them." She still needed one thing in order to use them, though.

Alexis started dancing and when she stopped what she really, really wanted to do was hug him and kiss him for this. "Thanks, Dad!" Rick could hear her crying. It sounded to him like a happy cry.

"You're still going to need a program to use them properly. We'll need to find something to barter with to get the best. I was thinking of doing that after we gather what we need here and go get our Beam," Rick cautioned.

"I'm all over it!" Alexis began her quest to find a program that she could use now and not have to wait. Maybe this other program would be better but waiting was not her style. Her search only took a couple of minutes and sadly, there was nothing in her memory bank. However… "What's this?" This planet had something and all she had to do was hack into it. She knew she should wait until after she had finished her scans of the planet, but she couldn't. Alexis let part of her continue to scan the planet for the chemicals they needed as well as scanning the planet itself. Based on all the junk that was in orbit, this planet was inhabited by locals. The question was, would they put up a fight while they gathered the chemicals they needed?

Another part of her scoured their information web for a program she could use after she got her dad to install all of the optics. Getting him to do that was the easy part, waiting for him to finish was going to be the hard part.

"Oh my!" Alexis had easily found a lot. It seemed this planet had something they called the internet. It provided online access to anyone that had the means. She quickly found fifty 3D modeling programs for her to study. Autodesk, Blender, OpenSCAD, Sculptris, Sketchup, and a whole bunch of others. Now she had to test all of them while looking for others. She was pretty sure she would be ready by the time her dad had installed all of the optics.

It wasn't so much that she was going to see better. This was going to do nothing for that. This was about allowing her dad or others to be able to see _her._ She was going to have a body again. It may be true that it was only going to be a bunch of lights but they would have someone to talk to instead of talking to the ceiling or nothing. Being nothing was what she feared the most about her present situation.

Part of her found something. "I've got a lead, Dad. We're over the wrong continent. I need to adjust our orbit so I can focus my scans."

"Move us then. I'm not finding much in the way of communications being used." It was a big planet but it was looking like it was a silent planet. Then he saw something. "We're being scanned. It's simple really, just ordinary waves, but someone's noticed us."

"Found it. It looks to be a dish. Likely a satellite location, not someone who's actually looking," Alexis informed him. "Ten minutes to our new location. I'll do a detailed scan once we reach it."

They were both silent for a time. "Dad?" Alexis had noticed something. "There really isn't much moving. Based on the amount of debris in orbit there isn't anything moving. Nothing in the air, nothing I can find so far on water. I'm finding a lot of paved roads but nothing's moving."

That had Rick doing his own scan. "Just normal background radiation. I'm not detecting any contagions. …Oops, check that. This planet is infected." He sighed; he'd found signs of it.

That had Alexis racing to search everywhere and even put all of it into her search. "Life signs are…limited across the entire planet. I estimate that there are just about one billion life forms that aren't infected. You're going to need to wear your suit. This planet is dangerous."

Rick had already planned on using his suit to gather the chemicals. For one it gave him greater strength as well as greater stamina. Plus he would always be armed. It was just safer that way.

"We've arrived. Putting it on your screen." Alexis moved it to his screen. "It looks like most of it's inland instead of on the coast. Still there is some. I've got another location. It's on a different continent. This location may actually have even more of the chemical we need. And another location. Same continent, just farther north. It's a little more scattered, though like the other location, it appears to be grouped into larger sites. I need to do some more research." She wasn't willing to land just yet.

"Pick a water location for us to land. I'm going to go change. A nice beach spot would be good since we don't have a boat yet. Speaking of which, you can search for one of those if you want. Small enough to fit in one of our docks." They had spaces but they were small.

"I'll be ready when you are." Alexis picked a spot and began her descent.

+x+ [- **O** -] +x+

Alexis landed, informed her dad that they were down, and that he could begin his search. "We're in what the locals call Mexico in case you're interested. Go west and inland; when you're close I'll let you know." She watched him leave, though it was more that she felt it rather than actually watched.

Rick was jogging fast after first using his boosters in his boots to actually reach land. Alexis had landed on water as he'd requested, but she hadn't landed on the beach. Since it was an easy hop, he didn't complain.

Now he was running through what looked like a residential area; it was just that all of the houses looked quite old while some appeared to be more like dumps. Maybe it was the norm on this planet.

"You're close. Pick a building and go inside and look around," Alexis suddenly told him. He stopped in his tracks.

"What exactly am I looking for?" He had no idea what it looked like.

"I'm not really sure. What little I've read so far indicates that the stuff is usually made at home, not by a big company." Alexis was a fast reader but actually finding something to read was turning out to be the problem.

Rick didn't think that sounded hopeful. He needed tons of the stuff. Home-based operations would barely have anything. This just might take longer than he would like.

He chose a house and went inside. He was instantly confronted by what to him looked like a dead man. Rick put a round in his brain and moved on. He had already killed thousands so he didn't blink an eye. To his way of thinking, he was doing them a favor. Better to be totally dead than one of those _things._

"It's a caramel color and it's a liquid." Alexis had finally found something on what this planet called the Internet. "Eight point four pounds per gallon means we might need to build a holding tank somewhere, somehow." Especially if they needed tons of the stuff.

Rick had little trouble finding a couple of plastic things with thin metal tips filled with a caramel liquid. "I may need to find a portable scanner." His suit didn't have one built in. "Picking up what I find and bringing it back to be tested is going to take us forever." Tons of the stuff. He hung his head. They were in big trouble.

He walked into the kitchen. "Jeez, what a mess." He wasn't even sure if this place even made food. Looking around, he found a pot full of a rank-smelling caramel liquid and a few more of those plastic things with metal tips.

He had come prepared for a liquid and poured what was in the pot into it and went back outside. "Where next, Alexis, while we still have the light." He had learned over the years that _they_ tended to avoid sunshine. Being in sunshine didn't seem to have any affect on _them_ that he could tell, but he was used to only finding them in dark places or inside something. That was what had made cleaning that carrier so difficult and time consuming.

"More east and a little south," Alexis answered.

+x+ [- **O** -] +x+

It was night now and Alexis was taking them a little farther out into what she had learned the locals called _The Gulf of Mexico._ Rick had finished stowing the liquid, removed his suit, and was presently in the kitchen making his dinner.

"Emitters, Dad?" Alexis really wanted her birthday present now. She wasn't interested in waiting.

"What have you learned about the chemical on this planet?" Rick inquired instead as he continued to cook.

Alexis groaned but told him anyway. "It's called Krokodil by the locals. Also called Crocodile, Croc, Krok, Russian Magic, and Poor Man's Heroin. The active ingredient is codeine. They mix that with a brew of paint thinner, iodine, hydrochloric acid, and red phosphorus. That gives it that murky yellow color with an acrid stink. Wherever on the body a user injects the drug, blood vessels burst and surrounding tissue dies, sometimes falling off the bone in chunks. This side effect had earned it the name, Zombie Drug.

"The skin of Krokodil injection users can also become black, gray, and/or green, scabby and can flake off, resembling the skin of a reptile or a crocodile at the site of the injection." It was how it earned its name. "If for some reason they miss a vein, the skin dies, turns black and begins forming sores that leak a slimy yellow pus."

"Good God! Aren't there enough Zombies in the universe without intentionally turning yourself into one." Rick was starting to lose his appetite. Regardless, he finished cooking and sat down. "What else have you learned?" Meaning how hard was it going to be to get tons of the stuff.

"It's all made at home, though we could do it if we wanted to make our own; we just need the ingredients. However, most of it is in a country called Russia. Apparently it originated there and a million people or more are addicted to it. They are calling it an epidemic. Oh, and the average life span of a user is two to three years, and yes, most users know they're killing themselves." Alexis figured these people were already sick and looking for a way to die while getting a cheap and easy high.

"And where is this Russia?" How far away was it?

"Basically the other side of the planet from where we are currently. Though if Mexico has it there may be other locations between here and there where we can stop."

Rick ate silently for a time. "Fine, set a course and start taking us that direction. Scan for any of this Krokodil along the way and begin looking into how we can make it ourselves. Preferably not on this ship." They needed tons of the stuff and if they had to make it to get it, then he would think about it.

"We need to come up with a plan on how to store it all and if we have that kind of space." They had a really big ship now, but was it big enough?

Alexis pressed him again. "Emitters, Dad?"

"I'll get started on them in the morning." Rick really did want to be able to see his daughter again.

" **YES!** "Alexis started dancing and would have hugged and kissed her dad if she could. In her mind she did just that. He just didn't feel it. She was going to have a body again. Even if it was just a combination of lights. She got back to trying to make a reconstruction of herself with the software she'd found while still looking for a better one to use. She wanted to look her best.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hunter and Hunted**

 **Chapter Five**

They had spent the last few days – which was just one day short of a week to be accurate – sailing down the east coast. They had talked about where to go and why. The primary concern at the moment was the future. Staying this far north meant that the cold weather would settle in and their boat while nice, just wasn't meant for that.

Listening to their daughter and choosing a sailing ship meant they didn't use that much fuel. Though it did mean that if they wanted fuel they needed to find a dispenser that had marine fuel not just regular gas like for their car.

They were actually doing pretty well for now. The wind was actually helping them, they didn't have to make that many turns so far. They were sure that was going to change, however.

One other thing they were finding was that their refrigerator freezer, while a full-size model, really didn't hold all that much. Not enough to reach the Caribbean which was their chosen destination. A look at Katie's maps showed that not all of the islands were large.

Since that area was very popular they were positive that all of the larger islands were filled with infected people. But one or more of the smaller ones might not be. Plus it was warmer there. The only remaining concern about the location were the hurricanes that passed through the area. In fact, there might be one there now. Yes, they had radar but it didn't extend that far.

Jim saw his wife standing at the TV with the remote in her hand. "Anything yet?"

"Nothing." She turned it off and tossed the remote onto a nearby chair. "It might be as bad as we're thinking it is." The worst case scenario looked to be playing out. "Last I knew Katie hadn't heard anything yet, either." No one had answered her radio calls.

"Let's go find out where we are before you start lunch." Jim headed for the stairs.

"Before _**I**_ start lunch?" Johanna was ready to give him an earful, a single earful because he only had one good ear now. "I've got news for you, mister, _you're_ helping. Especially since I need ideas on what to make. We're out of bread. The little we still had went overboard." It had started to grow fuzzy stuff on it. "We've emptied the coolers of the frozen seafood we found so all we have is what's in the refrigerator. Another week and we're going to have to stop and look for more food." Even with each of them eating one meal a day, they could only stretch their food supply so far. There were three of them to feed, after all.

She looked at Jim. "What about fresh water? Are we still making our own?" That was another good reason they had listened to their daughter. That cabin out in the woods would have eaten up a lot of their money just fixing it up. It would probably be without power soon if it wasn't already. Plus the water would stop eventually, too.

"It's working fine. Though I should probably check the filters just to be safe." Jim continued toward the stairs. It was time to find out just where they were.

Kate, for her part, was sitting at the wheel dressed in a bikini. She was on a boat, out in the ocean, and the temperature was soaring. Her parents spent most of their time downstairs where it was air-conditioned. Still she was really learning to love it up here.

"Mom, Dad, what's up?" They didn't usually come up out of the air-conditioning unless there was a reason. Or if she called them because she needed to make a course change because of the wind.

"We just wanted to know where we are." Also to figure out where to stop for more supplies and calculate how long it was going to take them to reach the Caribbean.

That had Kate turning on the autopilot so she could go downstairs and look at her maps. She found it was much cooler down there. She spread out one of her maps. "We've been sailing for six days at roughly 11 knots, more or less, so we should be about here now." Kate traced an approximate route after doing the math and using her tools. Her finger came to a stop near Jacksonville, Florida. Then turned to her GPS to confirm it.

"So little north of Jacksonville, then," Johanna commented. "Do we put in there for more supplies? Food, maybe more propane, marine gas for the engines, other things?" She didn't know what the other things could be, but she would think of something. "It's sure to have a marina or two, or three, or more." They might have a choice to choose from.

"We may have to anchor just outside. It'll be close to dark by the time we get there," Kate cautioned both of them.

"That's okay. If you take us more toward land then we can find a spot before going in," Johanna said.

"Fine by me." It was cold down there and Kate was sporting goosebumps. She rolled her map back up and headed back upstairs to her chair. She liked where she was just fine.

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Rick had chosen to leave Mexico since it was obviously not going to provide what he needed. He could spend weeks, maybe months in this area, and probably not gather a single ton of the stuff, let alone several.

His daughter had pointed out a possible problem with their new ship. Well, not so much a problem as a potential issue that needed to be discussed.

"We have a yacht now, Dad. A really big yacht with a really big kitchen. There may be only one of you now, but the kitchen is huge and it's almost empty. We need to stop for food. It may be local food, but food is food." She didn't want him starving himself to death while he worked.

Rick really didn't see the need. Yes, they had more than one refrigerator freezer combo and yes, that one was barely half full. He truly thought it was enough. But if he filled all of them while here he wouldn't have to do it later.

"If you figure out what I can safely eat and where to stop, I'll fill the refrigerators and the dry storage. Has all the local power gone out yet?" That might create a kink in her plan if it had.

"Not yet and I've already found a place. It's a really big, what they call grocery store, inside a city called Miami in the state of Florida. It's on our way to Russia so we can stop. I was thinking of parking on its roof, making it nice and easy for you." Alexis was all smiles, not that he noticed. She was also proud of herself.

Rick heard it in the tone of her voice. She had gotten her way…again. Not that he cared. He would do anything for her. "How goes that program of yours?" He had set up all of the optics and since they didn't need wires, it had been easy. He was just going to have to recharge them from time to time.

"Almost done. I found some programs easily enough, but after hacking into something called 3DExcite and Realfiction I decided to drop the other options and I'm working on building something using one of these. I should be ready soon." She was actually on her third test using both products. She just had to choose one. "It's the best this planet can provide."

They both knew there was better out there. Or at least there used to be. However, that was before and this was now. One did what one could with what was available to them.

"I can't wait, pumpkin." Rick was dying to actually see his daughter again, even if he couldn't touch her. "I'm going to go get the sled ready. You might want to look into how we can make hundreds of gallons of the stuff and how to store it while you're at it." Making their own might be the better option. They would just have to see after visiting this Russia place.

"Anything else you want me to do?!" She tried to sound pissed off that he was simply using her because she was so good now.

"No, that's about it." Rick kept walking so he could get things started after they reached this grocery store. He missed seeing the glare and daggers that Alexis was sending his way. She began looking into it while still working on her body.

+x+ [- **O** -] +x+

Just in case, Rick was in his suit and had his sled at the ready. All they needed to do was land and open up so he could go out.

"We've arrived. I'm holding the ship just above the roof. I don't think it will hold our weight if I don't. It's called Costco and it's a really big building, so hopefully it will have what you need." Alexis opened up the one side for him.

Rick took the sled down and in through the doors after he made it big enough.

"HOLY CRAP! It's a warehouse." Rick had turned on his monitoring system so Alexis could see what he did.

"WOW, DAD! Do I know how to pick 'em or do I know how to pick 'em!" Alexis was impressed in her choice. "Get a lot of things. Clothes, towels, detergent, soap…. I'll help. Just start walking." She had stopped doing everything else so she could focus on this.

+x+ [- **O** -] +x+

Rick was on his fourth trip after finding out that everything in the refrigerators had mostly gone bad. All the meat, fish, milk, and other things were completely inedible. It was the frozen food that he could load up on and let thaw out in his refrigerators. He was also loading up on things like: something called Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Vegetable Oil, Ketchup, BBQ sauce, and… "Alexis, what's toilet paper?" There was a whole lot of it here.

He actually heard her laugh which was a first in such a long time. It did his heart good. Whatever this stuff was he was thinking of getting a lot of it.

"That's the locals' idea… Well, you use it to… You use it after you use the bathroom to clean your butt," Alexis giggled.

Rick threw the giant bundle of toilet paper back where he had found it. "Don't need it. ...They actually use paper here?" He'd thought this planet was a little behind in technology, but THIS? "On second thought don't answer that." He heard her laughing again.

He wasn't really sure if this trip was going to be worth it; now, though, he was glad they had come. His daughter was beginning to sound like his daughter once more.

Rick spent three hours going back and forth, collecting all kinds of things. He had even picked up several boxes that said they contained 24 Coca Cola. He had no idea what it was but there was a lot of it so he thought it must be popular and good.

After four trips, his ship was starting to look more like the store he'd just raided. He had taken the stuff off his sled and stacked it anywhere he could so he could go back. Now the place was a mess. He decided to take a quick break before he moving all this stuff around, save for what had to go in his freezers immediately.

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They hadn't liked the entrance to Jacksonville so they'd moved on. Now they were in West Palm Beach, heading inland with houses on each side and a lot of docks that had a number of boats.

"Don't see much yet." Jim was standing up next to his daughter with Johanna next to him. He had the binoculars and was looking. "Some of these homes have pools."

"We have an entire ocean, Dad, and you want a pool?" Had Kate heard right?

Jim lowered his binoculars. "I'm only commenting that some of these houses might be nice. Just keep going." He raised them back up.

A few moments later, Jim said, "There, straight ahead. It says Newport Cove Marine Center. We can probably get fuel there. Perhaps more propane. It might even have a service center and maybe a small grocery area. Go right, Katie, I think I see a fueling station." At least it looked like one to him.

Sure enough Kate carefully guided them into a dock that had a small building that offered Recreational 90 (non-ethanol) and marine-grade diesel. Just what they needed.

"You fill the tanks, Katie, and I'll go look inside. Keep your eyes open. What I don't understand is if everyone's infected, where the hell are they?" They had yet to see a single person.

Kate was already topping off their tanks while, with his gun at the ready, Jim and Johanna walked toward the large building. "We both know why we don't see anyone, babe."

Jim knew full well why. "I'm not talking about the infected catching you, ripping you open, and eating you alive in front of our daughter. She's young and still has her life in front of her. She doesn't need the nightmares."

"I'm not sure I need the nightmares either. …But you're right." Johanna gave him that one and kept walking.

"Wow!" They had only just cleared the large doors and Jim was impressed. "Showers and a laundry facility."

Johanna pointed at what she had found. "Gas cans."

"Beer, bait, tackle, snacks, t-shirts." Jim saw something he could use. "Let's split up. You take the gas cans out to Katie while I get us some bait and tackle." He was thinking of doing some fishing finally.

Jim had three of the most expensive rod and reels he could find, an entire gallon of bait, and even had a six pack of beer as he passed Johanna who was on her way back.

"Katie's done with the fuel and is emptying out our waste tanks. There's a pumpout station right next to it." Johanna had been happy about that. Their holding tank was getting kind of full.

"Not much in the way of real food. I did find a brochure about this place, though." Jim did his best to lift a hand to show her.

Johanna gave him a look and snatched it from him. "Fish cleaning station, self-service maintenance racks, nearby restaurant and shopping. …Wonder what they mean by _nearby?"_ Nearby to them might mean a mile away while nearby to her meant right around the corner.

"It's not even lunch yet, we have time to do a little looking." They really needed a few things.

"Fine, I'll get the rest of the gas cans and then we can go looking. Katie stays here!" Johanna meant it, too. This was a big enough risk as it was. It was their job to protect her.

Kate had hated this plan and had told them so in no uncertain terms. Still she remained behind. She didn't stay on the boat while they were gone, however. There were a number of boats nearby so she began searching them.

Jim and Johanna started walking East 22nd Court but all they saw were houses so far. Three blocks down they ran into Broadway Avenue. "Now this looks more promising." They weren't going to be able to carry a lot. They'd planned ahead and each had a number of empty plastic bags from last time.

"Boat Owners Warehouse, Boathouse Marine, Sea Shell City." Johanna read off the names that were in range. "I'm detecting a theme here." It was all about boats. "Where's all this shopping and restaurants?" That was what they were here for. "Left or right, not that we are going far either way." She absolutely wasn't walking forever and getting too far from their boat.

To the left they could see the tallest building, though it looked like a condo to them. "Right…maybe?" Jim wasn't sure but going straight looked worse to him.

They went right. "Sheldon's TV services, Palm Beach Outboards, Medallion Sporting Goods." Jim read off the names as they passed them.

"Auto Zone." Johanna was thinking they had gone the wrong way. "Walgreens!" She was thinking jackpot.

"A BP station and it's next to a strip mall it looks like." He liked that area, too.

Johanna pleaded her case to go to the drug store first. "Walgreens may have shopping carts."

"SOLD!" If it meant they didn't have to carry it all he was all in.

Thirty minutes later they were both pushing full shopping carts across the street to look at the BP.

"I don't see any propane tanks, except for that big one over there. It does have a mini mart, though." Jim pushed his cart up to the front door with Johanna right behind him.

"Does this feel weird to you." Jim stopped at the door. He saw the look his wife was giving him. "No noise except for some birds. No car noise, no dogs barking, no nothing."

Now that he mentioned it, she did notice and it was only then that it did feel weird. "It is a little eerie. Like we're in a ghost town somewhere." A shiver skittered down her spine. "Let's get this over with and out of here." She was feeling exposed and that their luck was running out.

It didn't have much in the way of food, at least not real food. "We really need a grocery store," Johanna moaned.

"The Badie Seafood and Grill and Romana's Pizza." Jim saw the signs for the small mini track mall next door to the BP.

That trip gained them a lot of flour and a lot more frozen sea food along with cans of vegetables and a little fruit. They would have taken more but both of their carts were now filled to overflowing. It was going to be a challenge just getting it all home to their boat.

Even the smallest of elevation changes had turned into challenges. A challenge to keep from dumping the entire shopping cart onto the ground.

Thankfully the dock was concrete, except that it had been built in sections; each section had an expansion joint and each expansion joint was yet another challenge.

"Good grief, did you two buy out the store?" Kate jumped off the boat and intercepted them so she could help.

"Funny!" Johanna deadpanned since they hadn't paid for a thing since they had started this journey. There really wasn't anyone to pay in the first place. "I still don't understand why we haven't seen anyone," Jo commented as she stopped to look around yet again.

Finally they had the carts emptied and Kate was taking them back out to sea using one of their motors. She wasn't in a hurry so didn't see the need to use the other one.

Johanna came up to join her. "We may need to stay here. Your system downstairs shows a storm heading this way. Do we want to be caught out to sea when it gets here?" Katie was better at this than either she or her husband.

"No, probably not." The waves might get a little high. Yes, this cat was rated for travel at sea, but did they really need to test that rating? "Let's find a spot and put out the anchor." Kate began looking for someplace secure. There were actually a number of boats parked all over with anchors out so she just needed to find a more open space. "Maybe near that bigger dock over there. Just not next to it." They needed to be far enough away that no one could jump to their boat was what she was thinking.

Kate settled in and told her dad to drop the anchor. Then she went downstairs into the air conditioning to see where they were exactly. "It looks like we're on the north end of something called Peanut Island. It appears there's an inlet on the west and south end. We can try there after the storm passes," she offered in case her parents still wanted to find things. Even if she wasn't sure just where it was all going to go.

"We can look at the southern inlet before we leave, just to be sure. Who knows, we may find that we're out of something." Johanna headed to the kitchen to start on their on meal for the day.

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"There's a storm headed this way, Dad. We may need to find a place to settle down or go back out into orbit," Alexis cautioned.

Rick really didn't want to go back out into orbit again. He liked having all the sides open and getting some fresh air into the ship. "Find us a nice safe harbor for us, then. We can sit on the water with the best of them." They'd both been pleasantly surprised to find that it wasn't just a space ship. It was also a boat. A boat that could actually travel pretty fast on water.

They had found that it actually lifted up and floated so to speak, while a single foil was projected into the water to provide thrust. The air on all sides provided stabilization.

"Hmm." Alexis began searching for a place to go. Somewhere that was ahead of the storm but maybe just on the outer edge of it so that they could possibly keep the sides open.

It needed to be big enough to fit them. Alexis spotted a place. "How about here? The locals call it Lake Okeechobee." She hoped she was pronouncing it correctly. It was a pretty weird name. "It's nice and big and it's inland so we shouldn't get any big waves, just a lot of rain."

"Looks good. How are you coming with your program?" He really wanted to see her again.

"Almost there. Let me land first and I'll show you what I've got." She really hoped he loved it.

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" **MOM, DAD, Get up here! You need to see this!** "Kate wasn't sure she believed it herself.

"What, Katie?" Johanna arrived first and saw her daughter pointing up into the air. "What the heck is that?!" She had never seen anything like it. Well that wasn't entirely true. She had seen something like it. It was just that they were made from stone and were in Egypt.

"What?" Jim was next and looked up where the others were looking. "What the hell is that? …A flying pyramid?" It didn't look like it was made of stone. In fact it looked kind of shiny like it was made of metal.

They watched it go inland then it looked like it landed. "Where did it go?" It had gotten low enough that they couldn't see it any longer.

All of them went back downstairs where Kate pulled out a map. "Here, maybe?" It was the biggest open spot she could find that was close.

"Lake Okeechobee." Johanna was sure she was butchering the pronunciation, but it did fit the location.

"What was that thing?" Jim asked again and saw nothing but shrugs. There was a lot of land between it and them so there was no way for them to go check it out, plus it was going to be dark soon.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hunter and Hunted**

 **Chapter 6**

None of them got any sleep, they were sure. Their minds were too full of a flying pyramid.

"Have you seen it?" Johanna was up and found Katie upstairs at her wheel getting ready for them to lift anchor and move on.

"Nothing. It might have moved away last night," Kate suggested since it was possible.

Johanna started shaking her head. There was no real reason she could come up with for it to do that. "Just keep your eyes open. I'll get the anchor. Your father's in the shower." They only had the one bathroom so they needed to be careful and not burst in on someone.

They were just making it to the inlet heading out to sea when Jim showed up. "Have you seen it?" He hadn't yet seen his wife after getting out of the shower.

"No, Dad." She wasn't in the mood to discuss it possibly moving on last night yet again.

"I wonder what it was?" Jim would love to understand how a pyramid could fly. "I'll be downstairs where it's cooler. Yell if you need something." He squeezed her arm and went back down to the air-conditioning.

+x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] + **X** \+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+

"You slept in late, Dad!" Alexis was a bit peeved with him. She was ready and wanted to show him the new her.

"Sorry. I kept wondering how I'm going to get tons of this stuff. I keep coming up with having to make it ourselves." Rick wasn't sure how he was going to go about that yet. "So what have you got for me?" He was ready to finally see his daughter again.

"Okay, here we go." Alexis activated the closest emitter and popped into existence. She looked solid enough even if there were a series of lights coming out of the emitter and ending with her. She spun in place. "What do you think?"

Rick was ready to start crying. She was right in front of him. Except for the lights that hit her, she even looked real. "Amazing! ... You're still beautiful!" He couldn't help it, he moved in closer so he could hug her. They both ended up closing their eyes and willed to be able to feel the other. He pulled away and wiped the tears from his eyes. Then he made a puzzled face. "You look different somehow." She was wearing clothes, yes, and they were nice, but something was off.

Alexis began smiling; she had a surprise for him. Her new body was indeed different from her old one. Just a little.

Rick looked her over. Her face had maybe a slight change. Her hair was the same as he remembered. A little orange in color and nice and long. She was maybe a touch taller and it had him looking down to see her wearing heels. Heels were new for her so that helped explain the height difference. Still something was different. Then he had it. "You've…grown." He placed his hands at his own breasts. He watched her start to blush, actually blush a little as it worked her way up her face.

"I was twelve when I…died. It's been about a year so I'm a teenager now. I decided that I didn't want to be flat-chested any longer. So I gave myself breasts. …You don't like them?" She really wanted them badly. At first she had thought about making them even bigger than they were now. However, she'd settled for something smaller. She was only 13 years old, after all.

"NO! …I mean it's just a bit of a surprise. My little girl is growing up." Rick felt his tears begin to streak down his face. "You look amazing! My little girl. All grown up." She was becoming a woman.

"Do you like my dress? It's local. I found it on what they call an Internet here." Alexis twirled to show it off. In fact she now had a huge closet filled with all kinds of clothing for her to chose from. She was even wearing a bra. She had even found a selection of bikinis to wear out on the deck.

"I love it," Rick said as a statement of fact. He even went in for another hug and used his imagination to actually feel her again.

He stepped back and saw tears flowing down her face. Still she looked happy in addition to being beautiful. "Shall we get started on the way to Russia? The sooner we get tons of the stuff, the sooner we can mount a weapon to our ship." He was ready to get moving.

"Engaging engines now. Lifting off of our little lake and heading out to sea." Alexis hadn't even actually left where she had been standing. She kept her body right where it was. "Doors are closing and we're gaining altitude." She turned to look at her dad.

"That's going to take some getting used to." Before it had just been her voice. "I'll race you to the bridge. Loser has to scoop out the ice cream." He had brought back a whole lot of ice cream from Costco.

Alexis instantly left him and showed up on the bridge. "Oh, I am _so_ getting you for that." She crossed her arms across her chest and glared daggers at him. She couldn't actually eat any of that ice cream. In retaliation she sent the pod he was in on a tour of the ship before finally stopping at the bridge.

"Funny." Rick knew just why she'd done that.

Alexis was ready to give him a piece of her mind. However, something had her attention. "Dad, I have a boat moving on its own. It looks like a sail boat but it's moving slowly and the sails are down." She began to scan it a little more closely.

"Show me." Rick moved to a screen to see it. It was a good size. He was guessing around 50 feet long. It looked like it was on two pods with nothing between them. "Looks like it has living space." He kind of liked it.

"I've found someone onboard it." Alexis zoomed in on the person. "She's pretty." Alexis liked her.

Rick _really_ liked her. She was dressed in a bikini and was showing a lot of skin. It even looked like she had a tan.

"Close your mouth, Dad." Alexis was amused by the look he was giving her.

Rick scowled at Alexis who actually had an image on the bridge now. He quickly agreed with his daughter. "She's gorgeous. Zoom in a little. Let's see if she's infected." He doubted it since the sun was out and running a boat was beyond most of the Zombies he had ever run across.

Alexis zoomed in and even got in really tight on her face. "Definitely not infected. Shall I change course? It appears as though she's headed out to sea."

"Yes, please. Let's try and not scare her to death, though," Rick told her.

+x+ [- **O** -] +x+

They had just exited the inlet and Jim and Johanna were up top to start raising the sails. They had only just gotten into position. "Mom, Dad!" Kate was pointing to the south where they were about to be heading since the rain clouds had passed by during the night. Though it had rained rather heavily on them.

"What?" Johanna looked where her daughter was pointing "OH, MY!" What she saw and Jim soon saw was the large metal pyramid heading right for them.

"I'm going to go get my gun," Jim grimly informed both of them and went downstairs.

Johanna didn't see what one little hand gun was going to do against something that large. Especially when it got bigger and bigger the closer it got.

"It's bigger than any of those multimillion dollar yachts I've ever seen." Kate commented as Johanna nodded in agreement.

They had all seen a few good-sized yachts while they had been out looking at boats their size. They'd wished they could afford one that size, but it was just too much ship. They would need a crew to man the thing and they didn't have the money even for that.

"WOW!" All three of them watched as it slowed way down, pulled up, and stopped almost right next to them.

"Katie, kill the power. We're not escaping." It was too big and was obviously way faster than they were, even with the sails deployed. Kate killed the motor, though now they were starting to drift. Kate quickly noticed that the pyramid moved with them.

"Now what?" Johanna didn't see anyone. She also didn't see any doors, though there were a large bank of windows on at least two sides higher up.

"What's happening?" Jim and the others watched as a wall at their level started to open up. It exposed a view of an enormous dining room table that could seat 12 people. They could also see three nice wooden lounge chairs. Then they saw a set of stairs fold out down to the water. It was a bit shadowed past the table so they couldn't see much else. Then a man dressed in long legged swim trunks stepped out around the table and headed for the stairs.

"Hello! Do you understand me?" Rick called across to the three of them. He had already been alerted by Alexis that there were actually three people and that none of them looked to be infected.

"Who are you?" Jim didn't raise his gun but he held it tighter. He was a little happy that this guy wasn't carrying a weapon.

"My name is Richard Castle. Would you like to come aboard so we can talk? I have lots of space, lots of food, and a really big kitchen. …You can keep your weapon if you like." These three didn't look dangerous to him. Actually they looked a little scared.

"I promise nothing will happen. I just want to talk. I may know something that you don't." Actually he knew a lot that they probably had no idea about.

"What do you think?" Jim asked the other two softly. "He doesn't look dangerous and it's just him." He was all they saw.

"In a ship that big? Not likely," Johanna countered. This ship was big enough to hold a dozen or more people. "He may not be armed but what about the others?" She wasn't that trusting. Too much had happened.

Rick could see that they weren't going to go for it. Showing them Alexis was likely to freak them out. "I can come to you if that's better." Since they weren't going to come to him he might as well go to them.

"Turn the motor back on and take us away from his ship a little once he's onboard," Johanna instructed. "That way his armed buddies can't jump across and catch us off guard."

"They don't trust you. They're even talking about moving away once you're onboard," Alexis warned.

"One of us has to start things. I'm bigger so it might as well be me. Besides, as long as I stay on top I can jump and swim back. You can swamp them a little if they start firing and then we can just leave them," Rick reasoned.

Alexis sighed heavily. "Fine, but I'm going to sink them if they start shooting at you." She wasn't losing him. It would leave her alone and she would have no idea what to do then.

"I accept your offer." Rick walked over to the ladder, used the controls to lift up so that it was level, and began stepping across until he jumped a little to get onto their ship. Not surprisingly he heard their motor start and they moved away some.

"I'm Rick and you are?" Starting with names was good.

"I'm Johanna, this is my husband, Jim, and our daughter, Katie."

"Kate, only my parents call me Katie." She didn't want this stranger calling her Katie.

Rick walked over to an outdoor dining table that had built-in seating, sat down, and waited for them to join him. He wanted to look as nonthreatening as he could.

He watched Kate and Johanna sit down with Jim still standing with his weapon in hand. Actually he had wished that Kate would remain standing. She was definitely easy on the eyes. Though now her breasts were that much easier to look at so he wasn't complaining that much.

"Where are you from?" Rick started with that.

"New York. Something really strange was happening so we ran for our boat to get away," Johanna explained.

"So the Zombies have made it here." He wasn't that surprised based on what he'd seen so far. "A word of caution if I may… Do not let them catch you. To be blunt, they'll rip you apart and eat you alive. Should they bite you or even scratch you, you'll end up infected and slowly turn into one of them. You also need to avoid anything that they've infected. Water, food, anything that can make it into your body. The process is slow and very painful." Rick knew that first hand and watching it happen had ripped his heart open.

"They eat you?" Kate had thought it was possible, but the thought of being eaten alive was revolting. "That's disgusting." She couldn't think of a worse way to die.

"Have you not wondered where all the bodies are?" Had they been going around with their eyes closed?

"Now that you mention it, we haven't seen any bodies. Alive or dead." Johanna turned to look up at her husband; Jim shook his head.

"Do you know what happened?" They'd only heard what little was talked about on the news and that had been mostly limited to what was happening, not so much why.

Rick made a face. This was the part that was going to be hard to believe. Really hard. "May I ask how open-minded you are?" He was trying to think of what to begin with.

"Open-minded? Jim and I are, or were, lawyers." Johanna didn't know if that helped.

"I was in college, studying pre-law when all this started happening. I was lucky to have made it from California to New York before all the planes were grounded." Everything had been shut down in an attempt to contain what was happening.

Rick decided to risk it. "Alexis, are you listening? Can you reach this far?" This boat hadn't moved all that far away from his. He was hoping that Alexis's emitters could reach their boat.

Suddenly Alexis showed up which had all of the Becketts jumping; Jim raised his gun and pointed it at her. "Hello, I'm Alexis." She did her best to look nonthreatening and gave them her sweetest smile. They settled down quickly, though Jim kept his weapon trained on Alexis. Johanna immediately noticed that a series of lights looked to be coming form Rick's ship and ended where Alexis was. Her first thought was it was impossible.

"What are you?" Johanna had an idea, but it was highly improbable.

"Alexis is my daughter," Rick explained.

"I'm a hologram," Alexis stated flatly. She had long gotten used to what she was and was really proud of what she looked like now.

"But holograms are fake," Kate blurted. Her mind raced until it stopped at one of her most favorite TV shows. "Are you a computer?" It would explain a lot.

Alexis was impressed with Kate already. To have reached that conclusion and not looked scared scored points with her. "I reside in a computer, yes." Alexis smiled at Kate, ignoring Jim and his gun.

"You can put that down, Dad. All you're going to hit with it is our own boat." Kate didn't see the need for the gun any longer.

"What happened?" Johanna inquired and by what happened she meant Zombies and Alexis.

"Alexis." Rick gave her his permission to explain what had happened to her.

"Dad and I were attacked by Zombies. We tried running away but we actually ran right into another bunch of them. One of them reached me before Dad killed it. And I ended up infected." Both Alexis and Rick heard them sharply draw in a breath and hiss. "It was painful and mind-numbing," she added.

"It broke my heart to watch her skin start to turn and literally fall of her body. Plus listening to her screaming from the pain. …Not something I ever want to experience again," Rick said and felt his eyes start to water. It was a nightmare he never wanted to relive.

"Dad rushed me to a friend he knew. While I was there he hooked me up and transferred my mind into a computer. It effectively turned me into a program." Alexis made it short, though the story was much more involved than that. Just getting away and to his friend was its own story.

"That wasn't the end of it, though. When Alexis woke up she started screaming all over again." It had turned one hell into another hell.

"I was lost. I couldn't see anything, couldn't feel anything. I could see Dad, but it was different and when I tried to reach out to him, I felt like I was reaching but I couldn't see my arm. Then I couldn't see my body," Alexis explained.

"That was when the crying turned into sobs and the screaming only got louder." Rick wiped away the tears that had escaped. "I spent weeks, months really, trying to reach her and get her to understand what had happened and then why."

"I didn't listen at first. Far too much was different. It was only Dad's voice day after day that finally reached me. Eventually I found that if I thought about it, I could see myself. In my world I can see so much and all at the same time. I've learned that when I move from place to place, I actually walk it, even if I'm not actually walking." It was what had grounded her to being nothing more than a computer program.

"The 3D hologram emitters are a recent addition," Rick said.

"I have a body again!" The sound of her happy voice filtered through and Alexis spun in place to show it off. "I found the program locally." The teenager was still beaming.

"I'm following it all, but none of this is possible." Johanna had never heard of such technology.

"Yeah, about that." Rick sat back and Alexis actually started to look worried. "We're not from around here, or anywhere near here, actually."

All three Becketts looked a little lost until suddenly Kate's face came to life. "You're…" She couldn't say it. It was amazing to even think it, but just how real was it?

Rick said it for her. "I think the word you're looking for is _aliens._ Though to us you three are the aliens."

"You're from…" Johanna pointed at the ceiling.

"NO! That means that ship out there is…" Jim was keeping up but it was just too fantastic to be believable.

"A real space ship!" Kate was the only one that sounded like she believed them and was excited at the possibility. "This is so cool!" Her favorite TV show was coming to life with a bit of a twist.

It didn't hurt that the alien was handsome and bare-chested.


	7. Chapter 7

**Hunter and Hunted**

 **Chapter Seven**

"Prove it!" Jim wasn't buying any of it. His daughter might be falling for it and maybe his wife a bit, but not him. "Submit your proof for us to begin to believe." Jim was sounding like a lawyer and Johanna was starting to kick herself for not thinking that. She blamed it on Rick being topless. He had _such_ a sexy chest.

"Okay." Rick wasn't adverse to proving it. "Fire up the engines, Alexis. Let's take our doubting guests for a ride." He worked at how to get back out from behind the table where he was sitting. "Bring us in closer so we can cross."

"You got it, Dad." Alexis was glad to do it. Especially if it meant they were going to convince these three into coming with them. She was kind of tired of it being just her and her dad.

"Go? Go where?" Jim had been countered at his declaration and wasn't prepared for it to happen so fast.

Rick pointed up. "Heading into the orbit of this planet and maybe a quick trip around the system might get you to believe me. You can bring your weapon if it will make you feel better. It's just me and Alexis. But do try to not shoot something critical or you might kill us all." Rick didn't see how that would happen but it never hurt to be careful.

"Are you three coming?" Rick started to cross the stairs that were in place again.

He saw Kate move first and his eyes roamed all over her as she carefully took each step. He even reached out to help her and felt a thrill run up his arm when she took his hand. She stood next to him dressed in her bikini while they waited for Jim and Johanna to cross.

"Follow me." Rick began walking and turned to make sure they were right behind him. "Close up, Alexis," he called out and Jim, Johanna, and Kate watched as the ship closed up and their boat disappeared from view.

"This pod might be a tight fit for four." Rick stepped inside and waited for the others to join him. He felt yet another rush when Kate ended up pressed close to him. "Bridge." And they were off.

Kate did her best to look at the floor, however, she was pressed up against him and his bare chest was right in front of her face. He even smelled pretty good. She fought the urge to place her hand on his chest and maybe even stroke it. When her dad said something, that helped her to stop.

"An elevator." Jim liked the idea of it.

"I'll give you a tour later if you're interested," Rick offered.

"YES!" Kate answered quickly and maybe a little too loud. "I'd like to see," she said a bit softer this time. Johanna only smiled a little. She wasn't blind and he _was_ rather attractive.

"Here we are." The door opened and Jim was the first out followed by Johanna, then Kate, and finally Rick. "How we doing, Alexis?" Were they ready?

Alexis showed herself again. "All set. I've already moved us away from their boat just to be safe. Adding power to the engines," she announced while Rick pointed to the windows that lined the bridge on all three sides.

"WOW!" Kate watched as the ocean quickly started to disappear until suddenly it was just black outside. "We're in space!" She was sure this was never going to happen. It made her wish she still had her costume.

"Spin us, pumpkin, show them their planet," Rick said and watched as Alexis did just that.

She suggested a destination. "There's a big gas planet that has rings in this system."

"Set a course, normal cruising speed, please," Rick asked.

"Alexis does all this?" Kate was still stunned by it all. Even more so that Alexis was in charge or at least had control over everything.

"I have access to almost every aspect of this ship. Every section that the computer has access to, so do I." Alexis was still getting used to living in a computer. There was so much space and so many things she could do.

It only took a few moments. "HOLY… MOM, LOOK! Saturn!" They were almost upon it already.

"We're actually in space." Johanna joined her and was a little shocked. "You two really **are** aliens."

"From your point of view. The Universe is a lot smaller than you think." He had always thought it was literally limitless. But ever since the Zombies had started spreading, it had gotten a whole lot smaller in a very short amount of time.

Jim, Johanna, and Kate still had their noses glued to the glass as Alexis took them around Saturn and back to Earth. "Earth, from space," Kate breathed in awe, loving every aspect of this quick trip.

Johanna was ready for more answers. "So why are you here? Now that you've proven you're both aliens."

"To answer that question you need a background so you can understand. Over here, please." Rick took them to a table that was on his bridge and activated it. He brought up the Sol System. "This is the system we're in at the moment."

"Earth, Mars, Pluto." Kate pointed them out.

Then he jumped out a long way; their system quickly became a dot and then he jumped once more. "This is the galaxy we're in," Rick explained.

"The Milky Way." Kate already knew all that.

"Ready?" Rick took a moment and moved way, way out to show countless galaxies. "This is the Universe as Alexis and I know it." Each galaxy didn't look all that big and there was a lot of empty space between each one.

Kate actually reached in and waved her hand through the 3D hologram of the entire thing. "So cool!" She ignored the looks her mother was giving her.

"Alexis, show us the galaxy that the Iridi system is in while leaving the display as is." Rick had a plan and he didn't want Alexis zooming in and losing them.

Alexis actually pointed to it. "Iridi's galaxy is in red."

"No one knows for sure exactly where Point Zero's located. However, it was in the Iridi's galaxy and we believe in the system we know as PX-1222. Zoom in for us, please, Alexis." Rick needed them to see.

"Like your system there's only one habitable planet. Somewhere on this planet was the very first Zombie," Rick said quietly, his voice filled with fire.

It had all three of them staring at the planet and what the implication of this information was. "Zombies are from outer space. …Here?" Kate pointed and didn't miss the look of shock on her parents' faces.

"Sorry to say it, but yes. The Zombies on your planet aren't native. Only the people that're infected by them are," Rick explained.

Johanna was catching on. "We were invaded."

"How did they get here? Are Zombies really that smart?" Jim didn't see how they got from there to here. The distance was just too far.

"Okay, keep an open mind, please," Rick asked. "Alexis, take us back to the Universe map." He waited as Alexis changed the display. "Good, now light up the Iridi's galaxy and this galaxy."

"Iridi is red, we're green. Show us the Behr Galaxy, in gold maybe." Rick watched as a galaxy in gold appeared. "Perfect. So in this galaxy there are a number of systems just like in this galaxy. In this galaxy there is or was a system that had a planet called Mia by the locals. It was a hub of sorts. Everyone went there. Think of it as the library of the Universe."

"Like the Library of Alexandria." Kate was keeping up easily. Rick didn't know what she was talking about, though, but it didn't really matter.

"Everyone went there. One or more infected people showed up and spread it to others. They in turn spread it to everyone else. Since everyone went there, it spread faster than anyone could keep up with." Rick shook his head. "It happened so fast, so very fast."

"FTL." Kate was proud of herself. She had figured out how.

"You mean Faster Than Light?" Rick inquired and saw her nod.

Alexis broke in. "Faster Than Light is impossible. Actually, even if it was possible, it's too slow for the infection to spread fast enough to not be prevented."

"Then how do you get around?" It would take lifetimes at a slower speed.

"We have jump drives, sometimes called a fold drive. You are here now, a few seconds later and we could be in the Iridi system. Nearly instantaneous transportation," Alexis explained.

The Becketts were quiet for a while as they absorbed it all.

"Back to our map." Rick got them all to look. "Now think, one instant you are in the Iridi system and the next you are in this system. Not just a different system but a different galaxy." Rick hoped they were smart enough to see the implications.

"You can jump anywhere you want to go in an instant?" Johanna thought she was keeping up.

"Iridi is in red. Alexis, show us the expansion as we know it in red, little by little. Don't overwhelm them." If she did it too fast they might not be able to follow.

Soon their three heads were snapping from one place to another as new red dots, each one representing an entire galaxy, began to appear. The Universe got redder and redder as they watched.

"Oh my God!" Kate was starting to see a whole lot of red. A major amount of red, everywhere! "They're all over!" That was what it felt like, anyway. There were still a number of galaxies that weren't red, but they were in the minority.

"What about there?" Kate indicated one of the non-red sections.

"Possibly, but keep in mind this information is at least a year old if not older. Getting information about anything is very difficult now." Rick wasn't even sure the person he was going to get his Beam from was still alive or if he even still had it.

"We're doomed." Kate felt it all caving in on her. There was **so much red**.

Johanna had a couple questions. "What do you do? Why are you here?"

"That's a little easier to explain. Money in every system, or at least the ones I know about, is completely useless." Rick saw the look he was getting. "Think about it. What's your money based on? What makes it worth something?"

"Gold." Johanna knew that. "No gold, no money." She was fairly certain she just answered her own question.

Rick nodded. "Money's useless. Everything's done by barter now. Someone wants something for what he has so you try and provide it for him so you can trade for it."

"What could we possibly have?" Johanna was quickly seeing that Earth was a tiny spec in a great big pond that had just become an ocean that was surrounded by red.

Rick began to explain. "This ship is a private ship not a military ship."

"Our old ship was part military and it had weapons; this ship has nothing," Alexis added. She loved it because of its size and how pretty it was, but when it came to attacking Zombies, it was useless.

Rick laid out his plan to them. "I know someone who has a McKenzie Beam. I simply need to collect enough of what he wants and we'll trade for it. Then I need to find another person that will help me install it or I'll install it myself. I used to be a pretty good engineer before all this. After that I need to get something else so I can acquire generators and shield emitters."

"Shields? You mean like energy shields?" Maybe it _was_ a lot more like her favorite TV show than she thought. Save for the killer Zombies, of course.

"I need three, one for each lower corner. The Beam will be installed above us in that space," Rick said and pointed up.

Alexis walked over to her dad. "You've been holding out on me." She had no knowledge about his plan for shields. "You better not've been saving it for my birthday or I'm so going to hurt you." She crossed her arms and glared at him.

Jim, Johanna, and even Kate were smirking at this exchange. All three of them were starting to see that Alexis really was alive. She had a real personality and it was fun to see.

"I…I was going to tell you…honest." Alexis was still standing in front of him beaming her beams at him and watching him melt. "Tour! Let's give our guests the tour." Rick needed a distraction to save his life and keep his daughter from killing him.

"Tour!" Kate was in and began walking to the elevator. She missed knowing that Rick was closely watching the enticing sway of her backside as she walked away. Jim and Johanna didn't miss it, though, and neither had Alexis.

"Be nice, Jim." Johanna hadn't seen that many men Kate could even go out on a date with of late and it was looking like there were a lot fewer of them than she thought.

"You've seen his daughter! Just how old is he?" Jim hissed. He had to be far too old for his Katie.

Alexis had heard every word they had said, however, she decided that now was not the time. Maybe she could use it as something to help her convince them to come with her and her dad instead of staying on their planet. To stay there probably meant death, or worse.

"Let's go, Jim. Time for a tour of a space ship." Johanna took hold of his arm and dragged him behind her.

+x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] + **X** \+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+

It had been two hours and they were right back where they had started: back on Earth, sitting on the water next to their boat that looked undamaged.

"This place is amazing! Four bedrooms, each with its own bathroom. Big living space with a dining room outside." They were actually standing next to it now. "A kitchen the likes of which I've never seen. More food storage than our entire boat. You lost me at that engineering room and your bridge is amazing with all those windows." Johanna was mightily impressed.

"Don't forget that all three sides open up. This is just one of them. That side has a pool and the other side has dock space for a couple of small boats. About the size of our dingy." The size was the only bad part. Even the pool was more of a soaking pool than a swimming pool since swimming wasn't possible. Kate loved the place. It had far more room than their boat.

"So you're after this chemical that's in Russia so you can trade for your weapon," Johanna recapped.

"This ship is a yacht. No weapons, no armor, and no shields. Our old ship had a little armor, a few weapons, and no shields. But I'll take this ship any day." Alexis loved their new ship. Her dad had done well.

Rick was ready to begin his pitch to convince them to come with him. He had already talked with Alexis who really wanted them to come. "You're heading for a place called the Caribbean because it's warmer there. But I have a question for you."

"The Zombies have taken over and not all of them are as dumb and stupid as you think. Granted they avoid sunlight, but it's not because it hurts them any. In a few days or at most a few weeks, all the power on this planet is going to cease. Where are you going to get food for all three of you?" Rick didn't see how they could stay here and live.

"What choice do we have? This is our home. Our planet." Jim didn't see any option. They lived or they died here.

"We can go with him if he's willing." Kate had seen the possibilities of going with him into space. Escape their planet filled with Zombies. Kate looked at her dad. "Mom?" Surely she had seen that they couldn't stay.

Johanna looked at her daughter who was standing there in a bikini and then at Rick who at the moment, had only eyes for Katie.

Johanna repeated what Rick had told them. "You and this Meredith had gotten together when you were both 15 years old and immediately had a child, a daughter named Alexis. Soon after, Meredith died from a Zombie attack." Actually she'd been caught and eaten alive while Rick ran with Alexis in his arms.

"You raised Alexis all on your own until one day another tragedy struck and took Alexis from you. Except you found a way to save her, or at least a part of her." Johanna kept going and saw Rick and Alexis nodding.

"The Universe is full of Zombies and are probably spreading even as we speak. In addition to that, not all of them are stupid mindless monsters." Johanna was starting to see the virtues of his plan.

"But this ship, as big as it is, can't hold our boat." Jim liked their boat and really wanted to keep it. Yes, his daughter had talked them into it, but it was theirs now.

"He has a point, babe. Where will we get food? Where's Katie going to live and grow up? She'll be surrounded by Zombies that want to eat her instead of dating her. We'll be on the run forever." Johanna hated that future. But then she had hated their future before Rick had shown up.

"Actually we'll all be on the run from Zombies, probably for the rest of our lives. The places we can safely go are limited. I've told you my plan: off to Russia to collect my chemical, then to get our weapon, and later, to get what we need to obtain shields. We'll still be surrounded by Zombies the entire time." Possibly worse, all of them fighting Zombies.

"I have space for all of you and everything on your boat. You've seen that and you now know what's out there, what you'd be up against." Rick's talk and tour had given them a lot to consider.

"Can you give us a minute or two?" Johanna knew they needed to talk as a family.

"Of course, walk across to your boat and talk. After you decide, let me know and I'll help you move everything across." Rick smiled a little since he was suggesting what the answer was going to be.

"Mom, Dad?" Kate looked at both of them after they went downstairs. "Do we even have a choice?" He was handsome, he was single, he had a space ship, and he had a plan. She didn't see a downside to this.


	8. Chapter 8

**Hunter and Hunted**

 **Chapter Eight**

Kate thought they were making the right choice. She shrugged; so they lost their boat. At least they weren't losing their lives by staying here and running out of food, propane and everything else. It sounded like it they were going to do just that if they stayed.

"I get dibs on the bedroom." Kate even knew which one she wanted that Rick wasn't already in. Even though he had shown them his as well as the others.

"We'll see," Johanna commented.

"We'll see _**poof**_ _."_ What Kate meant was _We'll see, my ASS._ But at least she had won the argument. She'd won with the boat, now she'd won with the spaceship.

"We may need to help him find what he's looking for. I'm not sure just what it is he's after but it sounded important." Jim knew it wasn't going to be a do-nothing change. They were going to need to work.

"We'll get him to explain what this crocodile stuff is that he's after," Johanna added. "Did he not mention he might have to make his own plus he had a storage problem he needed to solve." They really needed to start listening and asking questions.

"I'll go tell him we've agreed. You two start packing. We need to strip this boat of everything. If barter is taking the place of money, you never know what's useful and what isn't." Johanna left them to go talk to Rick.

She found him lying on one of the chaise lounges. He sat up when she started across the stairs. "We've agreed to your offer. The other two have begun packing. We plan on stripping our boat of everything we can, including the dingy."

"Excellent! I'll go change so I can help. Move us in as close as you can, Alexis, and let them tie themselves to us so they don't move." Rick got up and started to go inside. He stopped. "You've made the right choice, you know." They were so much better off and he was betting both he and Alexis were also better off.

He came back wearing his battle suit since it allowed him to carry large heavy loads with ease. Kate shrieked when she saw him and stumbled all over herself trying to get away. "It's me, Rick. This is just a suit I wear. …KATE!" He watched her scurry away. Inside his suit his shoulders slumped and he shook his head frustratedly. Sighing, he went to work. He saw a number of bottles that were white so he picked up a bunch of them and jetted across to drop them on his ship before bounding back across.

Jim had shown up carrying a pair of suitcases. "I'll take those." Rick returned moments later.

Kate had watched him jump across a few times and had seen the jets in his boots. "I want one of those. Have you got another one?" She'd gotten over her fear of seeing him in it.

"Sorry, just the one. However if you have the right stuff I know a guy." Rick meant barter.

"If I don't have it I'll get it." Kate was in. Rick chuckled. Neither of them had any idea what the guy would want this time.

+x+ [- **O** -] +x+

Moving their stuff had taken time and Rick really wanted to get to Russia so he could begin his search. He was still wearing his suit and standing next to the others. "Is that it? I've even helped you to disassemble some of the equipment on your boat." They had the radar system, depth finder, pumps, water heater, salt water to drinking water system, radio, navigation system. Even if it was bolted down, the bolts were removed, stowed safely away, and it was removed and now on his ship. They had even brought over all of the sails.

Alexis had had to spin the ship and open up all of the sides so that they could get everything onboard and put the dingy into one of the two slips. Rick had even broken down and found a way to pump all of the gasoline out of the tank. He'd tried to talk them out of it. "You know we don't use _gas o line_ out in space."

"You said barter so maybe this is barter," Johanna had argued. Rick didn't think so but had relented.

"Close up, Alexis, and take us to Russia. It's time we got back on the job." Then Rick left them so he could get out of his suit and up to the bridge.

Jim, Johanna, and Kate stood there as they watched the wall start to fold up and shut them in. Kate waved farewell. "Bye. You were a good boat. You saved our lives when we needed you." She kept waving until she couldn't see it any longer.

"Amen!" Jim added since he agreed wholeheartedly.

Kate suddenly had an idea. "Maybe they can fix your ear, Dad."

Instantly Alexis appeared. "What's wrong with your ear?" This was the first she'd heard of it.

"I fired Dad's gun next to his ear." Kate tried to shrink away. She still felt sorry for having done it.

"I lost my hearing in my left ear because of it. But she saved all our lives so it was worth it." Jim still thought it was a good trade-off.

"I still feel so bad about it, Dad." She hadn't meant to do that, she just needed to stop the thug from doing anything to them including shooting her dad.

"Everyone follow me." Alexis started walking. "I'll meet you in Dad's room." She had to go tell her dad first since she knew they knew the way.

A short time later the three of them were standing in Rick's room. They had been given a tour but now they had time to really look it over.

They had already learned that each bedroom was roughly the same size, and while they were each a good size, they weren't expansive. It appeared that most of the ship was meant for casual living. The decks, living, dining that was on one of the decks actually plus the kitchen took up most of the space.

His bedroom had one large bed equal in size to all the others. Each room had a different decor. His room had two walls that looked like they were glass with an elevated view of a city. The bed itself was basically nondescript. It was gray in color and had a low, well-padded headboard, footboard, and side pieces. It was actually up against one wall of windows. His closet, if you could call it that, was made up of a pair of armoires that looked equally nondescript. It was the glass walls that made the room pop.

"How does he do this again?" Jim ran a hand down the wall. It felt like it was totally smooth just like glass. They were inside a ship, in space, headed for Russia, so this was impossible. Or should have been.

"Think of it like a big TV, Dad." How it actually worked had escaped Kate as well, though the concept wasn't beyond her. "I wonder if this is only in his room? If there's another room like this one I want it!" Kate was loving the look of it. Her parents simply ignored her.

Rick walked in. "Alexis tells me you have an ear problem. Something about a gun?"

Jim began to explain what had happened. "We were trying to get out of the city and get to our boat. A man trapped us momentarily. He pulled a gun on us and tried to steal everything."

Kate defended her actions yet again. "He was going to kill us, Dad." Actually with the way he had been looking at her, she was now convinced that her parents would have been dead and she would have wished she was as well.

"The noise of the shot next to my head caused me to lose hearing in that ear." Jim still thought it was a small price to pay. Katie had done what she had to do to save all of them.

The **how** didn't really matter so much to Rick, but it helped to know if there actually was something he could do about it. If Jim had been born this way he truly doubted it could be repaired.

"Follow me, then." Rick took Jim and the others into his bathroom. In there he pressed a panel and a bed folded out of the wall. "Hop up." Rick patted the bed and went in search of some tools he thought he was going to need.

"You might want to lie down since this might cause you to get dizzy." Rick thought that between all of them they could catch him before he hit the floor, but this would help to prevent that. Jim started to lie down on his left side. "With your ear toward me, please."

Jim rolled on his back and turned his head. Rick laid a couple things on Jim's stomach and held a scanner next to his ear. "Let's see what the damage is, shall we." Rick activated the device and then looked at the screen. "That looks a little messy. Take this out into the bedroom and show it to Alexis." Rick handed it to Johanna who did what she was asked to do.

"Why out there?" Kate didn't understand.

"Bathrooms are the only place on this ship that Alexis can't monitor. She's in a computer and has access to everything that's in it. That includes all the medical knowledge that this ship has." Alexis was basically the doctor here, even if she couldn't actually touch anything.

Johanna came back a few moments later. "She said his ear drum has burst causing permanent hearing loss. She wants you to flush it out using a cleaning agent. Then she wants you to use something called Penteroxide in his ear. After that he'll need to be sent to bed for at least 12 hours to recover. …What's Penteroxide?" She was sure she was butchering the word but that was the best she could do.

"It's Penteroside. I'm going to need a couple more things." Rick went back to his bathroom cabinets and came back with a small bowl, what looked to all of them like a large syringe without the needle, and a bottle of something. "This won't hurt but it is going to feel funny. Kind of like getting a lot of water in your ear and you'll want to shake it out." Rick loaded the syringe and got Kate to hold the bowl below Jim's ear and began forcing the solution into his ear.

Jim made a face of discomfort but it didn't actually hurt. Rick and Kate saw the solution come pouring back out. Rick did this two more times before he ran a scan again and had Johanna go back out into his bedroom so Alexis could see.

"How do you feel, Dad?" She wanted to know if that had hurt or if it had helped at all.

"Fine, still can't hear anything in that ear. It felt…it felt like what he did. Force a liquid into my ear." Jim couldn't explain it any better.

Johanna came back and handed over the scanner. "She said it looked clean and you should inject him now with that Penter stuff." She could swear companies and doctors named their medications impossible words for the average person to even begin to understand.

Rick picked everything up off of Jim's stomach, left them for a moment, then came back. This time he did have a syringe with a very long needle. "I'm sorry but this one's going to hurt. I need to get in good and deep and you **can** **not** move. If you break this needle inside your ear, we'll have an even bigger problem." He might even have to divert to where Jim could be worked on. And that presented its own complications since no one used money any longer.

"Ready?" Rick got down so he could see and started to point using the syringe.

"No, but do I have a choice?" Jim just wanted it over with.

"There's always a choice. Always. Some choices are just better than others. For example, you didn't have to chose to come with me. You could have stayed right where you were," Rick reminded them.

"That wasn't really a choice." At least Kate didn't think it was.

"Okay, here we go." Rick began to guide the needle into Jim's ear. Jim for his part squeezed his eyes closed, getting ready for the pain that was to come.

Sure enough it hurt like hell and only got worse as Rick kept pushing the needle in. Then he started injecting the fluid. That was when Jim gave up and screamed from the pain.

Rick injected the liquid then pulled the needle out and Jim started to calm down. "All done. That wasn't so bad now was it?" Rick decided on humor to ease all the pain.

"Funny man!" Jim placed a hand over his ear since it was still throbbing in direct correlation with his heartbeat. He could almost swear he was hearing each and every heartbeat.

"Get him up, take him to bed, and keep him there. He's only allowed to get up if he absolutely has to." _G_ _o_ _ing_ _to the bathroom_ was what Rick was thinking.

Rick watched Johanna and Kate help Jim out of the bathroom and off to his bedroom. He tossed the syringe into the trash and went out into his bedroom. "Think it'll work?" he asked Alexis who quickly showed up since she had been following the others down the hall.

"We'll know in about 12 hours. From what I've read the results are mixed. From getting a fraction of his hearing back, to hearing a soft whistle the rest of his life, to getting almost all hearing back. It won't be perfect, but it should be better than it was." Alexis was hopeful.

"Too bad the Beltar System has been lost. They had the best medical facilities in the Universe. We find one of their surviving doctors and they might be able to fix him." Alexis wasn't hopeful for that. The Universe might be getting smaller, but it was still plenty damn big.

"We in Russian yet?" He needed to get started.

"Almost… Then I need to start scanning to try and find where the largest concentrations of the drug are located. Russia, it turns out, is a large country. However, most of it is countryside We'll probably find what we want in the larger cities." Alexis was only guessing; until they got there she didn't know.

"I'm going to go shower, keep an eye on them please." Rick headed to his bathroom again.

"At least one eye, as often as I can spare it," Alexis easily agreed.

+x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] + **X** \+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+

Alexis had landed in what looked to be a park. Part of finding a good place to land was that they were just plain heavy so places to land were few.

Rick was all dressed in his battle armor when Kate and Johanna caught up to him just as Alexis opened up part of the ship. "What are you in again?" Johanna had to admit that it looked impressive and dangerous looking.

"It's a battle armor suit. Jets in my boots, built-in weapon in my right arm, and the helmet has vision enhancements and targeting for my weapon. The entire suit allows me to run faster and jump higher; the armor is resistant to most arms. Your husband's little gun wouldn't even scratch it. It's also self-contained meaning I can be out in space for a short amount of time. And it means that all gasses don't affect me." Rick liked it. It allowed him to do what he was doing.

"I still want one." Kate looked him over. She liked him better bare-chested in his swim shorts, though this looked a little sexy, too.

"We can look into that after this. See you later and listen to what Alexis tells you. It's for your own good." Rick ran off and was out of sight in under a minute.

"Stand back, I'm closing up," Alexis warned and closed the ship again. It was just a precaution and good common sense.

"Let's go check on your dad then you can go do what you want," Johanna suggested.

Jim was sleeping so Johanna let him be since it meant he wasn't in pain and was recovering.

Kate chose to go change into a bikini again and slip into the pool. It wasn't that big a pool nor was it all that deep, but it sure felt good.

+x+ [- **O** -] +x+

Rick returned hours later. He dropped what little he had found and started stripping off his armor. He had gotten used to being alone with just Alexis so he stripped it off where it was stored and plugged in to be recharged.

Kate had heard him and had headed his way to ask how it had gone when she stopped and saw him stripping. She retreated a bit, stuck her head around the corner, and watched. It was like watching him take his clothes off. Especially as he took it off, it exposed more and more skin. To her he was damn sexy and when he stopped all he was wearing were his shorts.

What Kate hadn't noticed was that Alexis could see almost everywhere in this ship, save for the bathrooms and she was watching Kate watching her dad strip. Alexis wasn't sure just how she felt about that. She had been alone with her dad all her life. The major word in that thought was _alone._

Alexis wanted her dad to be happy and she had always thought that he was, even after she had been infected and trapped in a computer. She knew her dad was 29 years old and she had learned that Kate was 19. Now she was into this planet's Internet trying to determine if her dad was too old for her.

"Well that was a bust." Rick all but slammed the last piece into its charger. "I need a new plan." He'd reached a conclusion: it was time to see if making his own drug was possible and a better option.

"Alexis, we need to talk." Rick headed for his room so he could shower and get changed. "Where's everyone else?" He was thinking that they might have an idea.

"Jim and Johanna are in their bedroom; Kate's right behind you." Alexis hadn't realized that she had just outed Kate.

That had Rick spinning around and he saw Kate snap her head back around the corner. But he didn't hear or see her running now that she'd been spotted. Rick was smiling widely since he really was interested in her and now he knew that Kate was interested in him.

Rick got changed in his room and headed for Jim and Johanna's room. "Find Kate and have her meet us there." She might have an idea.

+x+ [- **O** -] +x+

"You need tons of this drug." Jim struggled a little to sit up though he was feeling better. "How much do you have now?" He didn't really know how long Rick had been searching for it.

"Less than a gallon," Alexis answered and everyone heard Rick growl at her a little. Everyone except Rick grinned a little.

"I'm thinking I'm better off making my own. But I'm not sure how to go about it. I was hoping you three might have ideas." Besides making his own he had no plan.

"We're in Russia right?" Jim wanted to make sure; Rick nodded. "You're going to need some really big tanks to make that much."

"BEER!" Kate exclaimed excitedly. "I was in Kiev recently; it's basically part of Russia. They make their own beer at some places. Just drain the tanks of the beer and put in your own ingredients. You just need the ingredients and a brewery that's close."

"What are your ingredients again?" She might be able to help him. It would at least get her closer to him for longer periods of time and that sounded like a good idea to her.

Alexis answered for him. "Krokodil is made from codeine mixed with ethanol, gasoline, red phosphorus, iodine and hydrochloric acid and paint thinner. It creates a toxic fume when heated."

"Well codeine sounds like a drug that a doctor would prescribe. Maybe something that is a cold medicine or pain killer. It might be best to find who makes it and get that ingredient there, but we can raid pharmacies." Johanna began with that ingredient.

"Ethanol and gasoline sound like an ordinary gas station. They're located all over the planet." Jim solved that ingredient.

"As for red phosphorus I'm not sure where to get that." Johanna had never had need for that substance before. "Maybe Alexis can find it on the internet." It was the best Johanna could come up with.

"Iodine sounds like a grocery store or pharmacy as well," Johanna adds.

"Hydrochloric acid, that sounds like more of a problem. …Colleges or high schools, maybe?" Jim suggested. "Maybe a high tech company like Intel. They use some nasty chemicals to make their product."

"Paint thinner's easy. Any home improvement store will have gallons upon gallons of the stuff," Johanna added, solving the quest for the final ingredient.

"It sounds like we should go back to America. I don't remember Kiev having all that you need, at least not in that quantity." Kate said.

"Plot us a new place to land, Alexis. Looks like we're moving. Thanks Jim, ladies." Rick saw Kate smile widely at him. It also hadn't gone unnoticed by Jim and Johanna. They silently communicated that they needed to talk to each other soon.


	9. Chapter 9

**Hunter and Hunted**

 **Chapter Nine**

Their room was really nice and certainly bigger than the one on their boat. It had a rather rustic look to it. There was the wood floor, wood ceiling with exposed wood beams. A fireplace in the corner that turned out to be electric. Next to it was an old barn door that when slid open exposed their closet.

The bed was a four poster that also looked rustic. It had lots of pillows most of which got tossed onto the floor, while the comforter was mostly white with a ripple design that in turn was two different shades of brown done in stripes.

Both were changing to get ready for bed. "Have you noticed those two looking at each other?" Jim was in protective daddy mode.

"How could I not? It's not like either of them are hiding it." Johanna turned the covers down.

"Should we talk to her about it?" Jim wanted her to be careful.

"Absolutely not! And if you say a word I will so hurt you. ... You are listening to me right?" His hearing in his left ear had improved greatly since the procedure.

"I can hear you fine. In both ears to be exact." Jim helped her fold the covers down. They would likely pull some of them back up, but for now it was comfortable and warm enough.

"Good! Let Katie decide on her own. Rick seems like a nice guy and he's opened up his home and his life to us." Johanna kind of liked him. She was really starting to like Alexis. Those two were a real pair.

"He's certainly an improvement to her more recent choices of boyfriends." A picture of one of them popped into his mind and Jim actually shuddered.

"Exactly, let them work it out for themselves. If or when it gets more involved, you can have your _what are your intentions toward my daughter_ talk." Johanna slid into bed and waited for Jim to join her.

She moved over to almost lay on top of him. "How are you feeling?" She started doodling on his chest with her finger.

"Fine. My ear doesn't hurt, though there's still this soft whistle that I'm starting to get used to." Then he felt her hand slowly make its way down until an intimate portion of his anatomy was being held. "OH! I feel fine there, too." Jim used his strength to roll them over until he was on top and kissed her deeply while caressing one of her breasts.

Johanna moaned into the kiss. Katie was going to be their only child but that didn't mean they couldn't keep practicing for another one.

+x+ [- **O** -] +x+

Kate had decided to stay up and was wandering around the ship when Alexis suddenly showed up. "Are you lost? Can I help you?" Kate was still in one of her bikinis even if the inside of this ship was a little cool.

"No, I was just… It's a big ship and I was just looking for something to do." Kate wasn't used to being this shy but things had changed. Her planet was full of Zombies, even if she had yet to see one.

Alexis tried to hide a smile. "Dad's on the bridge. That way." She pointed at the elevator then disappeared.

Truth be told she had been out here wandering around in hopes of running into him. It looked like it was up to her. She nodded her thanks and went where Alexis had pointed. Then she moved into the elevator and asked for the bridge.

A moment later and she was stepping out to find him standing in his long legged swimming shorts with no top and barefoot in front of a 3D display of something.

Kate walked up next to him. "Can I help?" Surprised, Rick quickly turned to look at her. She had caught him by surprise. He was also now looking straight at her breasts and not into her eyes. In a way she liked it, but it also pissed her off. She was clearly sexy enough for him and yet she wanted his attention on **her** and not totally on her body.

Rick broke from his stare and began kicking himself. He turned his attention back to his display. "Alexis and I are trying to find a spot for these beer tanks in the same place we might be able to get the ingredients without having to move far."

"Hmm." Kate wasn't sure if she could help him with that. She had spent all or most of her life in New York. She knew of no such place in that city. Since his eyes were off of her, she decided to get them back on her. So she started to slowly walk around the table, looking at the display while stealing a glance to see if his eyes were following her.

Kate suppressed a smile since his eyes were now clearly on her. She actually stopped across from him and bent over just a bit so she could look more closely. She knew this would expose more of her breasts to him.

"We need a beer crafting pub or bar, close to say a hospital to get the acid and not far away from a gas station. Breweries like Bud are too big. We need a craft beer, something much smaller. ... How do you plan on getting it here and onto this ship?" Beer tanks were really big and when full would weigh tons.

"Mix the drug in one location and then pump it into a tank here inside the ship. We might have to lose the pool to do it, though. That or your little dingy has to go. It's the only place I can think of to put an identical but empty tank." Rick worked at taking his eyes off of Kate's breasts, which he was finding to be really difficult when she bent over like that.

"Hmm." Kate went back to thinking. She stood up straighter and watched his eyes travel with her. She had him hooked; now she just needed a plan to reel him in without him jumping off her hook.

"Alexis, try the west coast. Say San Diego or Portland, or maybe even Seattle." Kate was sure Alexis was listening and probably watching. Which presented its own problem: Alexis was watching her **and** him.

Alexis showed up. "Searching." She started moving the map around until at least a few of the parameters listed matched up. "I've got a small brewery not too far from a hospital with a number of pharmacies even closer, along with something called Home Depot that's also close.

"That just leaves finding a source for the red phosphorus." Getting a lot of that was proving to be more difficult.

"Set a course and take us there. Land where you can. …Nice work, Kate, and thanks." Rick was all smiles that he was actually getting somewhere at this task.

Kate walked around the table to where he was and this time she saw his eyes were on her and not on her breasts. "I'm glad I could help. If it's safe enough we can all help get what you need." She was willing and was betting her parents would help.

"Thanks. This just might work out." Rick was happy but what Kate heard was that he was happy about his task at making this drug. His mind was off her now and that had to be fixed, like right now!

"I'm happy." Kate lifted up on her toes and reached to kiss him just where the edge of his lips met his cheek. It was a quick peck and she had resisted the urge to kiss him full on.

+x+ [- **O** -] +x+

Her kiss went straight from his lips, down his chest, and into his groin at lightning speed. She was gorgeous, beyond sexy, and half naked. Rick couldn't stop himself and wasn't in the mood to try. He placed both hands on her shoulders and leaned down to really kiss her.

When she kissed him back he moved his hands to her back, felt her arms wrap around his neck, and her fingers started playing with the fine hair on the back of his neck.

Kate was liking the way he kissed but she wanted more so she pressed her tongue into his mouth and the war was on. She also felt his hands move to her ass and then she was lifted up until she was sitting on that table. She spread her legs when Rick stepped forward a little.

The kiss got a little more intense until finally one of them needed air. "Wow!" both of them managed to say and looked into each others eyes. Rick didn't linger, though, and kissed her again.

Kate kissed him back and moved her hands to his ass where she pulled him tighter into her while spreading her legs just a little wider. It was then that she knew Rick had an erection. She could feel it as it pressed against her lips. She moaned into this kiss.

She moaned a little louder when she felt her top start to slide up and then a bare hand was on her breast. In moments they had gone from first base, to second, and were well on their way to third.

She moved a hand around to the front and slipped her hand down inside of his shorts. She soon had her fingers wrapped around his shaft and heard him moan into their kiss. She pressed deeper into the kiss while her hand starting working on the head of his erection. It had been a long while since he'd been with a woman and if Kate didn't stop or slow down he was going to pop soon.

Kate was willing but felt it was too soon for sex. So she drew away from the kiss, removed her hand from around his cock, and pushed him back a little. She saw the hurt look on his face. Sure she had started it and she had found him more than a willing partner. She stood up, turned him around, and yanked down his shorts in one swift motion, exposing his erection.

Kate knelt down and took his erection in his mouth. She was a little upset when a moment later he climaxed into her mouth. She had been looking forward to giving his cock a complete tongue bath. She swallowed it all down and licked his cock clean. Then she stood up and kissed him. It gave both of them just a little taste of each other.

She broke from the kiss and tugged her top back in place. Kate gave him a quick kiss and turned to walk away. "Thanks, Rick," she purred. "See you later." She put a lot of extra sway in her hips as she walked away.

Rick was left standing there with a soft cock and his shorts down at his ankles as he swirled his tongue around in his mouth to get all of the taste. "I'm in big trouble." She was a gorgeous, sexy tease and damn good at oral sex, not to mention being a good kisser.

The second Kate was sure she was out of sight, she ran to her room, stripped off her bikini, and jumped into bed where she pressed two fingers inside herself. She was soaking wet, horny as hell, and didn't stop until she screamed out her own orgasm.

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Alexis had closed her eyes and tried her best to close her ears through it all. It wasn't until her dad had said something about being in trouble that she opened them again then slammed them shut again. He was just standing there with his shorts around his ankles.

She was a bit conflicted about how she felt. She liked Kate, and Jim, and Johanna. She really did want her dad to be happy and if Kate did that, then so was she. She just wasn't sure how she felt about watching, well hearing it all, was all. This was just kissing and a blowjob; what was she going to feel when they actually had sex? "I'm in so much trouble." Alexis was sure of it.

"What trouble?" Rick was in instant dad mode.

"OH SHIT!" Alexis had actually said all of that out loud and now she had to cover herself. "Go get some sleep, Dad, you have a big day tomorrow." She did her best to go to sleep while flying the ship toward San Diego.

"Alexis?" Rick wasn't going for it. She had said trouble and he wanted answers.

"Just go to sleep, we can talk in the morning." After she had figured out what to say. Right after she talked with Kate.

"You better." Rick pulled up his shorts and walked quickly to his room.

Alexis waited a little while and when she couldn't find Kate she guessed she was in the bathroom so she waited. Kate came out of her bathroom naked and saw Alexis standing there. "ALEXIS!" Kate placed an arm across her breasts and a hand to cover her core.

"Sorry." Alexis spun in place, put her back to Kate, and waited.

Kate found the first thing she could see to put on that turned out to be the very same bikini that still had a wet spot. "Okay, you can turn around. What are you doing here?"

"I… You like my dad, don't you?" Alexis didn't want her dad hurt. She wanted him happy.

"Well yes." Actually she liked him a lot. Then a thought hit her. "Did you see all that?" Had she just given her dad a blow job right in front of her? God, this was turning out to be so embarrassing.

"I closed my eyes." Her face flushed, turning her cheeks bright red. "Just answer the question. I don't want him hurt. It's only been just him and me for years." Alexis had just told Kate a lot and Kate knew it. Rick wasn't a virgin, obviously. However, his own daughter had just intimated that Kate was the one most likely to have all the experience. She might also have to be the one that initiated all of their intimate encounters.

"I like Rick a lot and don't want to hurt him, either." She cleared her throat nervously. "So you know what I just did with him." Kate was ready to faint. Being an exhibitionist was one thing, but doing it in front of his daughter was quite another.

Alexis hung her head and scuffed the floor with her shoe. "Yeah. I closed my eyes, though. I didn't see anything… Except Dad standing there with his shorts around his ankles after you left. Talk about embarrassing." The petite teen rolled her eyes for good measure.

Kate actually snorted since it was a little funny. "I don't know what's going to happen, Alexis, but I promise it's not my intention to hurt him." Actually she was ready to fuck him. She just wasn't sure Rick was ready.

"Thanks! I'll do my best to keep my eyes closed in the future." Alexis vanished and retreated back into her computer. She was still flying the ship toward San Diego.

Kate turned and let her forehead rest up against the door jam leading into her bathroom. "I'm in so much trouble." She might be sexually sated for the moment but that was going to change the more she saw Rick walking around in just those shorts.

"Two can play that game." She began looking to see just how many bikinis she had and even decided she needed to convince her parents to go shopping for more.

Kate came to a standstill and went rigid. "CONDOMS! We're going to need condoms." Having lots of sex was one thing. Getting pregnant at 19 was quite another.

Alexis's disembodied voice floated in. "In the cargo bay, I can show you where. Dad got some on our last trip to Costco. Sorry, shutting up now." Alexis was sure she was going to need to learn how to give their guests some space. Especially since she was still trying to keep her ears closed while Jim and Johanna had round two of very steamy sex.

"I'm in big trouble." Alexis was now sure of it.

Kate, meanwhile, stood there, not sure what to do or think. Rick's daughter, who was located inside a computer and could hear and see everything, had just watched her with her dad and now was helping her find condoms so that she could fuck him.

"I'm in so much trouble." With just about everyone, she feared.

+x+ [- **O** -] +x+

Rick woke the next morning to find that they had landed and his memory of what Kate had done yesterday was still at the forefront of his mind. She was gorgeous and beyond sexy. A damn good kisser and not so bad at sucking on his cock. He was also a little embarrassed that he had climaxed so quickly. He blamed the later both on a lack of practice and Kate herself and her skill. It did leave him wondering just how many others she had done the same to. Not that that was any of his business.

"Where are we?" Rick inquired after arriving on the bridge and finding just his daughter.

"I landed on water just off of something called Centennial Park. Coronado Brewing is a little inland. You should be able to reach it easily. As for the closest hospital, it's located a number of blocks to the east. There's a veterinarian almost next door to the brewery." It was the closest Alexis could come.

"We may need to move to find a home improvement store to get paint thinner and possibly move again to get gasoline and codeine." No one place seemed to have everything.

Jim and Johanna had arrived and had caught almost all of it. "Can we help?"

"I only have the one combat suit so I don't think so. Plus the amount of material I'll need will be heavy. Initially you can come so long as we stay together so I can protect you if necessary." Rick didn't want them where they wouldn't be safe.

"We'll get Katie and meet you downstairs." Johanna grabbed Jim and went down to find her.

Kate for a change was not dressed in a bikini and couldn't help but smile at Rick who she couldn't really see since he was encased inside his combat suit. "I still want one of those."

It was a nice park with condos or apartments to either side. There was even two pools, both of which had terrible water inside them. Next they came across Nicky Rottens Bar & Burger Joint. "Frozen beef maybe on the way back?" Johanna was always on the look out for more food.

There was a realtor, sushi bar, Baptist church, a bar, another bar, Coronado Hardware, the vet, and then the brewery.

It was large inside and had lots of space to eat and drink. "Over here," Jim called out and pointed. Through the glass they saw one really large steel tank with three smaller ones just behind it.

"One of the smaller ones, I'm thinking. Find a way to drain it and open it. Look around if you want but don't go far. I need to hear you call for help." Rick started trying to figure out how to drain one of them.

+x+ [- **O** -] +x+

They had two of the tanks empty and had figured out how to clean the inside of each of them. They were all hungry and tired as they walked home. They did stop at the burger place and everyone was carrying boxes of frozen beef and frozen burger buns.

"Thanks for the help but after this you three have to stay here. It's too far to the hospital." Rick put his foot down.

"Can we look a little?" Jim asked. "There might be a gas station that's close. You could use the help."

Rick considered it. He stated his conditions for them helping him: "Don't go far, don't go inside, and don't go out at dark."

Kate answered for them. "Deal!"


	10. Chapter 10

**Hunter and Hunted**

 **Chapter Ten**

That very first night everyone was awakened by Alexis sounding an alarm. In quick succession she went from bedroom to bedroom to make sure everyone was awake and headed for the bridge. Each had already asked what was going on and had been informed that a small boat with three people in it was headed for them.

"What have we got?" Rick arrived first since he hadn't put on any additional clothing save for the boxers he slept in.

"I have a small boat that's powered and headed right for us. There are three men inside and they all appear to be armed with a weapon similar in design to the one Jim has." Alexis then took him over to the table for him to view what she had seen.

"When the others get up here, lock them in. Open up the ship on that side only after I say to. I don't think you need to worry about warming up the engines but it wouldn't hurt just to be safe." Rick ran for the transit pod and down to his suit.

In moments he had it on and all buttoned up and was headed for that side of the ship.

"Where's Rick?" Jim and Johanna had arrived on the bridge to find there was no one there but them.

Kate, though, had already spotted him in his combat suit and was discreetly following him. She watched as Alexis, she was guessing, opened up one side of the ship since it didn't look like Rick had touched anything to get it to open.

The three men weren't sure just what was happening as they watched part of it fold down and expose part of the interior. As they got a bit closer they could see someone or more like _something_ just standing there. They were armed so what it was didn't concern them much.

Rick amplified his voice and called out to them. "GO BACK!"

The three of them were not amused. "You're in our water. You have to pay a fee to be in our water," one of them shouted. They hadn't yet figured out just what that fee was, but would know once they got inside and saw something valuable. Even take the whole pyramid thing if they got lucky and it was full of valuable stuff.

Rick warned them again as they got a little closer. "Last chance. Turn around and go back!" It wasn't that big of a boat and it didn't have much speed so it was closing a little slowly.

The man up front wasn't amused; he raised his weapon and fired a shot. He had intended on hitting whoever or whatever it was. But their boat was a little bouncy and he didn't actually hit anything.

Rick used his targeting system built into his suit and lifted his arm. Kate actually sucked in a breath afraid that Rick was really going to kill them. He heard her but ignored her. One carefully aimed round and their motor stopped because it now had a hole in it.

The man holding the throttle open visibly jumped when the motor seemed to explode next to him. Without power, their boat slowed way down and started to drift.

"Now go back and don't come back," Rick called out yet again, only to have the jerk up front begin firing his weapon in earnest. That got the other two to join him. Their rounds actually did start hitting his ship. They might scratch the paint but that was all. His ship might not be armored, however, the material used in construction was more than dense enough to stop their little weapons from doing damage. The interior of the ship, not so much.

Rick simply used his targeting system and in three quick shots had blown each of their hands off, causing their weapons to either fall into the boat or in the water where they sank to the bottom. This was followed by a whole lot of screaming as they each held what was left of the hands that had been firing the guns. They were adrift and now unarmed. "Close it up, Alexis, I think we're done here."

Kate, who had been crouching low when those three had started firing, stood up, raced over to Rick, and tried to wrap her arms around him.

"You shouldn't be here." While the encounter hadn't been dangerous for him, they might've gotten lucky and hit her.

Kate stated the obvious, "You didn't kill them," then questioned why he hadn't.

"Didn't need to," Rick replied simply. "Come on, let's get you with the others so I can go start collecting my ingredients."

"But we want to help." She certainly still did anyway. She thought her parents would as well.

"If there were three there might be more, so not any more, you're not. It's safer if you stay here. If Alexis thinks its necessary she'll put the ship into orbit." They were safer here.

Kate didn't let Rick take her to the bridge. "How do you get in and out of this thing?" Since she wanted one she might as well learn how it worked. She began searching for seams and a way to open it up.

"Kate, I'm not wearing much under this suit," Rick warned her. In fact, all he had on was a pair of boxers.

"All the more reason." She kept looking for a way in until Rick finally did stop her.

"Be nice." She was moving way too fast for him.

"I am being nice. …Don't you find me attractive? I've seen the way you look at me. And you didn't stop me last time." If he didn't yet have an erection he soon would. Just as soon as she got this thing off of him.

"You're exceedingly attractive." He swallowed hard as a blush worked its way up his face. "It's just been a long time for me. The Universe is a whole lot smaller than you think it is." In his chosen line of work he didn't come across beautiful women.

Kate had already figured that part out. Though it helped to hear it from him. "I can go slow. How do you get this thing off?" She'd finally found what she thought might work when Rick grabbed her hand.

" **This** is your idea of going slow?" Stopping him right here and now and having sex wasn't his idea of going slow.

"Oh, you mean really slow." Kate was starting to think he meant trapped in hardened concrete. "At least take that helmet off." She could finally kiss him after he did.

Kate saw him raise his hands then heard a popping sound followed by a short hissing as a little touch of smoke or something gushed out and quickly dissipated. Then she watched him lift the helmet off his head. He looked as handsome as ever. She wasted no time in raising up on her toes, doing her best to wrap her arms around his neck and kiss him. She didn't feel him kiss her back at first. However, there was soon a tongue war and Kate was actually pulling him down more to her level as they both deepened the kiss.

Kate finally broke away from the kiss since she needed some air. But she left her arms right where they were and looked Rick right in his eye. "Slow. Okay. It'll give me time to find those condoms." She smiled at him, amused that he started to blush again. "Rick… With your idea of slow, be ready to do a lot of kissing from now on," Kate warned him. Then she moved her hand to take one of his and raised it to her breast. "I also expect you to touch me from time to time. I like it when you touch me." Screw starting with first base. She thought they were past that and could start at second base and work from there.

"I'll try and remember that," Rick promised and didn't take his gloved hand away from her breast. "Just not when your parents are around." That would be far too embarrassing.

"Deal!" Kate slipped her hand back around his neck. "Now kiss me." He needed to get used to starting things and not just her doing it all.

Rick willingly bent down and kissed her and searched her mouth while caressing her breast. Kate moaned softly and pressed the kiss a little deeper.

She finally began to worry that her parents were going to interrupt them, not knowing they were trapped on the bridge. Kate broke away from the kiss and let go of him. "Remember, more kissing and I want you to touch me." Leaving him with a sexy smile, she retreated before her parents caught them.

Rick was in a bit of a daze as she walked away; he watched her very fine ass sway from side to side. He was sure she was doing it on purpose, but it didn't hurt to watch. "I'm in so much trouble," he groaned.

Alexis had watched everything and though she had tried to avert her eyes, she had failed miserably.

Alexis appeared in front of him, smiling widely. "Do you want to know where the condoms are, Dad?" She was not above not teasing him a little.

"NO!" He would find them himself. It was just that this was a big ship and he didn't know where everything was. "Yes," he said much softer and watched Alexis smile even wider. "And close your eyes. I would at least like to be with her in private." He meant kissing and touching her. Even if what Alexis had heard was _have sex with her._

"I'll try." Alexis retreated back into the computer. "Maybe," she added quietly to herself.

+x+ [- **O** -] +x+

The next day Rick had jetted across the void that was water between his ship and land so he could walk to the brewery to check on the tank that had been selected. On the previous trip it had been emptied and then cleaned, using what the brewery had to clean it with. Now it should be nice and dry and he needed to close the drain so he could start filling it.

Then he began his search for the first ingredient. The hospital where he planned to start his search was several blocks away and was in the direction those three idiots had come from. Though that might not mean anything. That might simply be where the boat had been located.

Rick was hoping for large score so he jetted back across to get the sled before pushing it down the middle of the street.

After walking down Orange Avenue he turned left and started walking down 2nd Street until he reached Sharp Coronado Hospital. He'd already been warned by Johanna that what he was after was likely in something called a pharmacy or inside the hospital in the Emergency area, if it had one.

A little walking around and he found the pharmacy easily enough. He left his sled sitting just outside the doors and went inside.

Moments later he came back out with plastic bags filled with bottles that either had codeine or iodine inside them. A couple more trips and he had this place's entire supply. It looked like a lot, but he was betting he needed much, much more.

He was pushing his cart toward the brewery when his system spotted movement. A quick look and zooming in told him it was a kid and that he was armed with a hand weapon. It was just one, so he pretty much ignored him.

Now came the tedious task of getting what he wanted out of all that packaging and into his tank.

He was pushing his sled down the street headed for home when he spotted that same kid. "Let them watch." He seriously doubted they were any real threat. The previous three hadn't been, not really anyway.

+x+ [- **O** -] +x+

Paint thinner was next the following morning. After talking with Jim and Johanna last night, Alexis moved the ship to a large park. A whole lot of trees got crushed when she landed but at least there were no buildings or people.

Rick pushed his cart down Imperial Avenue and turned right to reach the local Home Depot. He had been told to look for the paint section and there should be a decent number of cans of paint thinner in that area.

An hour later and Rick was pushing his now much fuller cart back down Imperial Avenue, loaded down with gallons of paint thinner.

"There's a Costco on the other side of the park, Dad." Alexis had found something that might be useful. "They had lots of things last time. This planet uses red phosphorus to make the striker pads on boxes of matches."

"I'll start looking for a gas station to get the gasoline." Alexis retreated back into her computer to do a search.

"There's a pharmacy across the street from the Costco. You could maybe get more iodine and codeine." Alexis had found something in the area. "Oh, and something called Gateway Medical Center as well."

"Found one! That same Costco has a gas station. They should have thousands of gallons of the stuff. Get there before the power goes out or we're going to have to figure out how to get it up out of underground tanks. That same Costco might have gas cans to put it all into." Alexis was on a roll.

+x+ [- **O** -] +x+

Jim, Johanna, and Kate had watched Rick come and go; he was starting to fill up one of his storage bays pretty fast. Alexis was presently flying them back to the brewery while the four of them sat there and carefully scraped red phosphorus off of matchbox striker strips.

They each had a large number of matchboxes, a glass container in which to soak the cut out striker strips that contained the red phosphorus, a metal tool to scrape with, and another glass container to scrape the red phosphorus into. They'd found through trial and error that they had to let it soak in a solution that was part water and part something else that Alexis had directed them to add. Then before the strip could dry they started scraping.

It was repetitive, tedious work and Kate was beginning to tire of doing it. "My hands are red." She held up her medical-gloved hands to show them off. She got back another four hands being lifted up to show that her parents' hands were just as red.

"Just keep scraping, Katie. We said we would help and we're helping." Rick wouldn't let them off the ship because of unspecified dangers. But they were starting to wonder just where all these dangerous Zombies were. They had yet to see even one of them. At least in person, not counting what they had seen on TV before heading for their boat.

It was just that this was all Rick would allow them to do. Everything else meant leaving the ship and after having been told he was being watched each trip to the brewery, they stopped complaining.

Rick was putting his suit on and only had his helmet left to attach when Kate showed up. She walked right up to him, placed her hands on his chest, and looked up at him. "Don't go getting yourself killed." Then she raised up so she could kiss him and was kissed back.

"Rick!" She was ready to hurt him since he wasn't doing what she had asked of him. The look on his face told her that he had no idea what she was talking about. She groaned, annoyed that she actually had to ask. "You're supposed to touch me. Mom and Dad aren't here."

"OH!" Rick had forgotten about that and smiled softly before leaning down to kiss her again while raising a gloved hand to hold one of her breasts and squeeze softly. She moaned into the kiss. Kate broke away from the kiss and dropped back down. "If you're a good boy tonight I'll give you another blow job." She reached down to cup his balls but was met with his armor instead. He still got the message.

"Perhaps I should spank you for being so naughty," Rick teased only to find her squealing and lifting up to kiss him hard and passionately.

"Your bare hand on my naked ass after I give you a blow job. You have a deal, mister." Kate smiled and moved a little so he could move past her. "Now get to work. We have a date in my bedroom tonight." She slapped his armored ass and watched as he walked away.

"Soon, Rick, soon." Kate was looking forward to tonight since she believed she was one step closer to getting laid. She watched him go until Alexis closed up the ship. Kate raced to her room to see if she had anything sexy enough to wear for tonight.

Rick was having difficulty keeping focused on what he was doing and all he was doing was just walking while pushing his sled that was loaded with the first load.

He was on his way back to the ship, carrying his last load, as Kate was putting her room back into shape after finding what she thought were the sexiest things she owned. "Damn Zombies." She had a bikini with a thong bottom. A pajama top that if she was naked under, might be sexy. It was just that everything she owned was meant to be casual. All her formal clothing had been left behind. She did actually own some sexy lingerie, but that was more colorful than sexy.

"Damn it!" Then a thought hit her and she ran to Rick's room only to find it locked. "Alexis, let me in, please." She hated asking his daughter for help but she needed something and she was hoping that he had it.

Alexis popped up. "What's on your mind, Kate?" She was willing to let her in but she was curious.

"I want to get one of your dad's dress shirts. He does have some, right?" Her idea was dead in the water if he didn't. She could ask her dad, but she was betting his clothes were much like her own. Casual.

"He does, he even owns what your planet calls a tux. Or at least close to that." They were similar enough for her to call it a tux. "Why?" Alexis's curiosity was really piqued now.

"Alexis…please?" Did she really have to tell his daughter what she had planned for him tonight?

Alexis replayed in her mind what Kate had done and said before her dad had left the first time. What she couldn't figure out was what looking sexy had to do with her dad's shirts. "Fine." Alexis was dejected but she unlocked his door.

"Thanks." Kate went inside and started searching his two armoires to find just the right shirt. After finding one she proceeded to search the rest of his armoire for what else he had. "This must be that tux." She held it up high so she could look at him. "Hmm, I'll bet he looks damn fine in this." Now she just needed a reason to get him into it. Then another thought hit her.

Kate took his shirt to her room and left it on the bed. "Where's my mother, Alexis?" She didn't want to have to run around the entire ship searching for her.

"Your mom's in the kitchen with your dad. They're raiding the refrigerator. They also asked where the alcohol was located and what type it was."

"Mixing drinks! And doing it without me!" Kate was happy and pissed all at the same time.

+x+ [- **O** -] +x+

Johanna put her foot down. "You're not 21 yet, Katie, so the answer is no."

But Kate fought back. "FINE! I'll just make my own after you two go to bed."

"You will do no such thing, young lady!" Johanna had been afraid this day would come.

"I've had alcohol before," Kate argued then clapped a hand over her mouth now that she'd let the cat out of the bag.

"YOU'VE WHAT!" Now her dad was involved in the fracas.

"Nothing, I didn't say anything." Her plan of trying to get her parents help at having Rick take them to a store to try and find formal gowns or a tux for her dad would have to wait. She turned to leave.

"STOP RIGHT THERE, YOUNG LADY!" They were going to find out everything and right now. "KATHERINE HOUGHTON BECKETT!"

Kate cringed and scrunched her shoulders. She hated it when they used her full name. It always meant trouble for her and she had actually opened her big mouth for this one.

+x+ [- **O** -] +x+

An hour later, after Kate had spilled the beans about having a fake ID and getting into bars to drink with her friends that also had fake IDs, she was at least leaving with a promise that her parents would bring up going to look for formal gowns and a tux for her dad.

Her mother had softened a bit after listening to her idea. Her dad, though? He was still angry and didn't see the need to own a tux.

She was at least getting away with not telling them all that had happened at those very same bars. Kate wasn't a good kisser and good at giving blow jobs for no reason.

She might not be a virgin but that didn't mean she was loose. Sex was reserved for a very select few and she was hoping to add Rick to that very limited list.


	11. Chapter 11

**Hunter and Hunted**

 **Chapter 11**

Rick poured the powder from all of those striker strips into his tank and looked down into it. As much work as he had put into it, he needed still more since it was maybe only half full. He also needed to figure out what to put it all into on his ship. Getting this tank out of the building might be possible and his sled might hold it. But where in his ship was it going to go?

It was time to go back to Alexis and the others and find where to go to get more ingredients. His mind was also on what Kate had said before he left.

He was so distracted that he hadn't noticed them. Suddenly four rough-looking men, all armed, showed up in front of him. His system told him that there were another four close to him. Two to each side.

"This is our home and you shot three of ours." They simply wanted to tell him why he was going to die. Rick, however, wasn't interested in listening.

His system singled out the four in front of him and he quickly lifted his right arm and put a single round in each of their heads. His rounds were meant to do considerable damage since they were meant to kill Zombies. As a result, the entrance on this side was small. Each round expanded greatly and blew their brains out the back.

He heard an alert: his system said his armor was taking rounds but there was no damage. Four rounds later and he was back to walking for home after killing the other four a little behind him. He chalked it all up to survivors trying to control the area they were in. Jim and Johanna might have a different take on events. He made a mental note not to ask them since he didn't want them to think badly of him for what he had just done. What they didn't know wouldn't hurt him.

"Alexis, start looking up new places to get more ingredients. We don't have nearly enough yet. I'm on my way home." Rick picked up the pace.

+x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] + **X** \+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+

 **This section is rated M for a reason. Reader discretion is advised.**

+x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] + **X** \+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+

Rick was out of his combat suit and had hooked it up to be recharged. He had also looked it over to verify that there was no damage. Now dressed in one of his long legged swimming shorts, he had a date. This date had him excited and nervous. He wasn't just sure what to expect, though Kate had made it pretty plain about what she wanted out of this date.

A quick knock and he watched the door open a crack with Kate looking out. He found that to be a touch odd, still she opened the door wide. "Come in, Rick." Kate was smiling, a sexy look on her face.

Rick stepped inside and only had eyes for her. She had just finished closing and locking the door. "Is that one of my shirts?" It certainly looked familiar.

"I borrowed it. Like it?" Kate spun slowly to show off all sides. "Do I have too many of the buttons buttoned?" she teased; the only button she had used was the one at the very bottom. The split in his shirt allowed a fair amount of her chest to be exposed after she stopped her spin. About the only thing he didn't see was her nipples and her pussy.

He swallowed hard; she was very enticing. "It looks better on you than it does on me." Rick loved the look.

"I doubt that very much." Kate stepped closer to him and raised up on her toes to kiss him. She even lifted her arms around his neck and helped to pull his head down a little.

As nice as the kiss was he wasn't doing what he had been told. "You aren't touching me, Rick. I'm going to have to spank you for that." Kate had decided that Rick was shy and that if they were going to do anything she was going to have to take the lead.

"Now strip and lay down on my bed. I'm going to spank you." She waited for him to move and arched an eyebrow. "The longer you delay the more spankings you get." He'd already earned a couple.

Rick wasn't going down without a fight. He stepped in close to her again, suddenly pulled her in tight to him, and heard her huff out a breath. "It simply means you'll get spanked for being such a bad girl." He kissed her to silence any reply.

Kate was a little taken aback since she hadn't expected this, but it excited her all the more. "Strip and get in bed, baby, your ass needs to be red." She was looking forward to spanking him and being spanked in return.

Rick actually had started to push his swim suit down when he stopped. "Baby?" He'd finally caught up to all that she had said.

"It's your new name." Kate undid the last button on what was now HER shirt. "Strip, baby, or we'll be spending the entire night spanking each other."

Rick had heard the _each other_ part and lowered his shorts to expose that his half-hardened cock. He had even caught a hint of hair at her pussy when she undid that last button.

"Bed, on your stomach. I want to see that white ass of yours." Kate didn't move and just glared at him. She followed him over to the bed and watched him lie down. She wasn't sure just where all this leadership coming out of her came from but she was starting to like it. It helped that Rick was willing to be dominated by her.

Kate shed her shirt, got in bed with him, and gave one of his cheeks a quick slap. She was smiling broadly when it got a squeak out of him. Her next three swats were much harder and while his ass cheek was starting to look red, so was her hand. She resolved that if they were ever going to do this again, she needed something to swat him with instead of using her poor hand.

Two more swats and both cheeks looked a little red. "Turn over, baby," she told him softly. He obeyed at once and rolled over, revealing that he was now completely hard.

She wrapped her fingers around his cock. "You liked that didn't you, baby?" He must have to be this hard. She didn't give him time to answer as she bent down to take his cock in her mouth. He was going to get one of her expert blow jobs. It was only then that she wished she had planned ahead a little better. She didn't have any ice in her room.

"OH GOD!" Rick thought getting a blow job by her was the best thing ever.

Kate worked slowly to soften up her mouth and throat. It only took a few times and she soon felt his hard cock start to go down her throat. "SHIT! KATE!" She pulled back out and looked up at him. His eyes were screwed shut and he was fisting the sheets.

"You have such a nice cock." She gave it a few licks to make sure it was wet and took it back down her throat again.

" **KATE!** "He was going to come if she did that again.

She only just remembered that he climaxed too quickly last time so she slowed way down and lazily licked his hard cock. The problem was the more she did this, the wetter she got. She'd raided the storage area, had found a box of condoms, and had spread them out all over her room. Just in case. She wasn't sure they were ready for intercourse just yet. Oral sex was just fine for now. But it was testing her will power to resist.

Finally Kate worried that she was going to pop before Rick did, so she took him back down her throat and when he came back out she stuck her tongue into the little slit at the top.

"OH GOD!" Rick actually bucked a little. Kate smiled a cat-that-got-the-cream smile. She had found a sensitive spot. Just what she needed before she caved in, got up, and sank his cock deep inside her.

Kate swirled her tongue around his big beautiful head and then played with the slit at the top again. She was instantly greeted by hearing Rick groan as he started spurting white come in her face before she could get him back in her mouth.

When Rick stopped Kate started licking his softening cock clean. "I like your taste, baby. Want a taste?" She crawled up him so that she could kiss him with a mouth coated with his come.

Kate was happy when his tongue searched her mouth. They continued to kiss deeply. She now had an idea. "Don't move." She began working her way up his body until her pussy was right over his mouth and her hands were up against the wall. "Eat me. Make me come all over you." Kate lowered herself down and soon felt his lips and especially his tongue licking her outer lips. "Yes, baby, just like that." She was soon rocking her hips. "SHIT, YES! Just like that, don't stop."

She yelped when Rick nibbled on her clit. "Do that again." She was working up to a really large orgasm and his nibble had almost caused it to happen. "OH, GOD!" He did it again and she was close, so damn close. "Again baby, don't stop." Kate felt his teeth nip her clit; she screamed out her climax and ground her pussy all over his face. Rick suddenly felt a liquid bursting out with force, hitting him in the face. He opened his mouth to taste it, then did all he could to catch it all.

"SHIT!" Kate started to come down from her climax. It had been one of the best and most powerful ones she had ever had. "Damn you're good." It was either by luck or skill, either way she didn't care.

Kate finally got off of his face and found his face was all wet as was the pillow under him. "OH, GOD! Please tell me I didn't pee on you. OH, GOD!" It had been so good, now she was more embarrassed than she had ever been in her life. She was mortified that she had actually peed all over his face. "I'm so sorry." She tried using her fingers to wipe away the liquid and couldn't believe that he was actually licking her fingers to get more of it.

"It's not pee, Kate. You came on my face. …It's actually a touch sweet in flavor. Here, taste." Rick got up, pushed her down onto the bed, and kissed her deeply. His tongue was in her mouth spreading the taste around.

At first she fought his tongue, but she soon found that he was right. It did have just a hint of sweetness. Kate wrapped her arms around him and held him in place and kissed him back with passion.

+x+ [- **O** -] +x+

Kate was now lying contentedly on Rick. They had taken the next step and she knew the next one would have him inside her. "I can't believe I did that. It's never happened before."

"Don't women come when they climax?" He thought all women did what Kate had just done.

"Not that I know of. None of my friends have ever mentioned it." She had never heard of such a thing.

"Well we'll just have to find out if you can do it again." Rick was willing.

Kate smiled as she moved up a little so she could kiss him. "Yes, please." What **she** heard was Rick agreeing to have sex with her again. And next time she was going to make sure that he fucked her.

+x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] + **X** \+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+

 **The M rated material is now over. You may continue reading if you skipped that part.**

+x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] + **X** \+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+

Kate was still naked and still lying on top of him. "Rick, tell me about Alexis's mother." She only knew a little. She also knew that being involved with Rick meant Alexis came with him. They were a package deal.

He squeezed her a little tighter. He was happy to tell her everything. Especially if it meant she stayed right where she was. Pressing so much of her skin against his. He closed his eyes for a moment then began speaking. "I met Meredith because we both went to the same school, though she didn't live all that close to me. We talked a bit before we found ourselves always eating school lunch together. She was nice, nicer than several of the other girls in school. She didn't tease me or make fun of me." Rick had really liked her.

"What did she look like?" Was that where Alexis got her hair color or was that just part of her program?

"Meredith was a bit albino. Her skin was whiter than all the other girls in school. That might have been one reason why we got together. The other boys always took jabs at her skin color. Made fun of her. It didn't help, I suppose, that her hair was a fiery red color. She always kept it really short in back, though."

"Rick to the rescue. It sounds sweet." She wished it had been her. Her life would be different. "You were in a different system though, weren't you." She doubted they had been on Earth.

"Different galaxy, actually. Far, far away. We had both just had our fifteenth birthdays when we ended up having sex. It was our first and last time together. About two months later she came to school and told me that she was pregnant." Rick had been sure it was going to be the end of his life. Either her parents or his parents were going to kill him.

"You didn't use protection?" Kate was a little amazed.

"We were fifteen. I don't think either of us thought that was even possible. But no, we didn't." They'd been young and stupid.

"Both of our parents were furious with us. I had ruined her life forever. Pregnant at fifteen was a death sentence as far as her parents were concerned. ...They were so angry." Rick could still see their furious faces and hear every evil word they'd said.

"It must have been awful. What did Meredith say?" Was she just as angry, too?

"Meredith told me at school, which was the only time we had together, that she loved me. She wanted this baby and she was sorry that her parents hated me so much. It was just that neither of us really had a plan. Then months later as she got bigger and bigger and teased more and more at school, she stopped coming. I was already in trouble with both the school and my parents." He remembered those days.

"Why were you in trouble at school? You couldn't keep your grades up?" Kate didn't understand.

"I got into a lot of fights at school. The kids would tease Meredith so I punched them for it." They had been mean and he needed to defend her.

"My champion, defending her honor." Kate reached up to kiss him again and then settled back in. "Then what happened?"

"Zombies," Rick stated flatly. Kate gasped and held him tighter. "I rushed over to her house after stealing one of my dad's guns and found their house had been invaded by Zombies. Meredith had a Zombie all over her. She was screaming and the baby was screaming in its crib.

The Zombie had ripped Meredith open and was eating her alive." Rick felt tears he hadn't had for all of this for years.

"OH GOD!" Kate felt her own tears starting.

"I shot the Zombie in the head, since that was about the only part of it that was visible. They were both on the floor between the outside wall and her bed." He swiped his forearm over his face, brushing away his tears.

"SHIT!" Kate wiped away her tears.

"Meredith kept screaming and never stopped. I tried to talk to her but she just kept screaming. I picked up the wailing baby in my arms, the baby – **my** baby – that I had never seen before, and ran for home." Rick wiped away still more tears.

"I'm so sorry, Rick." Kate could only imagine the pain of it all.

"I never saw her or her parents ever again. My parents gathered up all of us and we ran for it. We stopped along the way to get things for the baby. Then we got lucky, or at least I think it was luck. They got us on a ship and off the planet. Everything was fine. We made do and did everything we could for the baby. We even had people donating things to help us.

"Much to our horror, the planet we landed on already had Zombies. That was where I lost my parents and ended up alone with a ten-week-old baby to take care of. That and what came next is another long story." That still gave him nightmares even to this day.

"Oh, Rick!" Kate got up on top of him and started kissing him. "Please don't be scared." She didn't want him so scared that he wouldn't be with her. Fear what the future for them held. She could tell that she was falling for him. Besides she finally liked her future.

He smiled tiredly. "I'm 29 now, Kate, not a young 15-year-old carrying around a little baby. I've killed more Zombies than you can count. Actually that's part of how I make a living. Killing Zombies so I can barter what I'm paid for other things. Like the McKenzie Beam I'm trying to get." Rick wanted her to understand that this was his life and would be for the foreseeable future.

"Can you get another one of those suits?" Kate really wanted one now.

"You really want one of those things?" He'd thought she was just joking. Kidding around with him. Teasing him a little, perhaps.

"How else am I going to help you get what we need?" Kate got up and sat on him with his soft cock just brushing up against her core. "Can you?"

Rick looked up at her and mostly just saw her breasts until he looked in her eyes. She was serious. She also wasn't shy about her body. "Maybe. We need to find out what they want for it and then find a way to get what they want." She needed to know that it wasn't going to happen overnight.

"Good! 'Cause I'm helping you." Kate was in and she leaned way down until their lips almost touched. "Now kiss me. I think it's time for round two." She wiggled her butt which told both of them that Rick was starting to get another erection and she had every intention of putting it to good use.


	12. Chapter 12

**Hunter and Hunted**

 **Chapter 12**

Kate was quiet for a time and just satisfied right where she was. However, a question occurred to her. "How many different races are out there? Are they all susceptible to becoming Zombies?" Was there no one that could resist them?

Rick chuckled a little. "There are a lot of races, perhaps more than you can imagine and yes, they're susceptible to becoming Zombies. Being a Zombie means you die and are reanimated. So, as long as a race can be considered living entities and can die, they can become Zombies, I'm sorry to say." His take was that the number of Zombies out there was an unimaginable number. He could and write the number, but that number was bigger than his mind could wrap itself around.

"So not everyone is human like us." Kate wasn't sure what she was going to think the first time she saw a real alien.

He corrected her. "Us, meaning you and your parents."

"And you, you're human." He certainly looked and acted human. Maybe an alien because he wasn't born here but not that kind of alien.

"I'm Sebacean, not human. Though there are a number of similarities." Rick granted that much. That had Kate getting up a little so she could look at him.

"You're not human?" She looked him over more closely and didn't see anything different about him.

"Alexis, explain it to her, but by voice only please." He didn't need her seeing them like this, though he was betting she already could and was listening.

"Genetically we're similar though there are some differences. There's a delay in females of the gestation of the fetus. Our eyesight's significantly keener than yours. Also our lifespans are, from what I can tell, twice that of yours. We don't have kidneys to help us remove toxins. We use a single organ called a Paraphoral Nerve. If it fails to function we can quickly die from the build up of toxins. It can only be replaced by a suitable donor. Also we do not handle heat well. Extended time in high heat can cause us to go into a coma. We refer to it as the _living death._ Until the onset of the final stage we can recover if our core temperature lowers enough and does so for long enough. Otherwise the effect is irreversible," Alexis explained.

Kate looked down at him with new eyes. The fact that she could lose him because of high heat was not lost on her. It also told her just how involved she was with him already. And it revealed something about him to her. "That helps explain why you're always walking around in just those shorts." He wasn't try to tease her with his bare chest. He was trying to keep cool. "And no wonder it's cool in here." It wasn't cold but it was cool to her way of thinking.

"Sorry, I can have cooling adjusted a little so it's not as cold," Rick offered just for her.

"NO! I can just add clothes. You can only just take off so many." Kate didn't need him to do that for her or her parents.

"So now you want to deprive me of how beautiful you look," Rick teased which earned him a swat to his chest.

"You think I'm pretty?" She had always thought that she was. A number of guys had told her so. But hearing it from Rick meant so much more somehow.

He sat up straight and put his arms around her. "You're far more than just pretty." Rick gave her a quick kiss. "I should get up and get back to work. Alexis needs to find us more sites so I can collect what we need then leave." The sooner he got his weapon the sooner he was going to like it.

"Fine, but we're helping where we can. Deal?" She wasn't just going to sit here and wait for him to come back.

"Deal. You also need to think about wanting a combat suit. Having one will mean you have to kill. It might mean Zombies but it could mean someone else. Having civilization come crashing down around you can bring out the worst in people." He had already met some of those and had dealt with them. Permanently.

Kate shut up and thought about that. Having the suit sounded really cool, but Rick was pointing out the cost of having and using one. "You'll teach me?" She really wanted to do this next to him.

"We'll see. Better put your swim suit back on. We need more ingredients." Rick got up and put on the shorts that he'd worn to her room.

She stopped him at the door. "Your room next time? Say tomorrow evening?"

"You don't like your room?" He had four so she should like one of them. He looked around. He liked the room, just not as much as his own.

Her bed was easily two queen beds put together to create one enormous bed that you could get lost in. It was mostly a dark chocolate in color with very light purple sheets and comforter. There was a really long chocolate sofa at the foot of the bed that actually was shorter than the bed was wide. It had a chocolate colored headboard that reached the ceiling. Beige carpet, tray ceiling, tear drop pendent lights on either side over side tables. The wall to either side of the bed behind the lights was tin and helped the lights to brighten the room from all the chocolate.

He liked it even if the bed was far too big.

"No, I like it. Especially the bed." Kate turned to look at it again. Its size was what had gotten her to pick this room. When they finally had sex it was going to be so much fun to play in this bed. "Your room, please?" She gave him her best puppy dog look she could come up with.

"Fine, just remember, my room is closer to your parents' room than yours." Rick gave her a quick kiss and left her standing there.

"Shit!" She'd forgotten about that part. Suddenly having her parents seeing her exiting his room half naked, or completely naked, entered her mind. "Shit!" She was just going to have to be more careful, that's all.

She loved her parents, though suddenly having them this close and possibly involved in her relationship with Rick was starting to grate on her. But it beat having them dead or worse.

+x+ [- **O** -] +x+

Alexis had a couple of leads for ingredients and was moving the ship to get closer.

"The Diamond Match Company. The closest is in Chico, California. There's literally nothing around the building. We can land as close as we want and not damage anything. You can probably get the red phosphorus before they even put it on boxes." Alexis was proud of herself and given the location, Rick was willing to let the Becketts help him. AFTER he had made sure the place was empty.

"Oh, and I've found a warehouse that's storing hundreds of gallons of hydrochloric acid. It's in Rochester, New York…which is on the other side of the country." Alexis scrunched up her face since that was the bad part. "Though Home Depots are all over the place for the paint thinner." She tried to sound positive.

+x+ [- **O** -] +x+

Rick scrubbed his face tiredly. He was starting to feel like a jumping jack. They'd been hopping all over the place, checking on leads that Alexis had found. However, in-between jumps he spent his downtime constructing a holding tank that actually went into his pool. It was close to one of the openings of the ship, making transfer easier. Plus the pool walls acted like a support structure. It was maybe a little crude-looking, but he'd tested it and found that it didn't leak.

"We need to do this as quickly as possible, Dad. This liquid is going to eat the pump and the piping really fast. This stuff is really toxic." Alexis was warning them all, not only her dad.

"And people inject this crap directly into their veins? On purpose?" Johanna really didn't understand the allure of doing this to yourself, just to what? Get a moment's high? To forget something while you kill yourself slowly and painfully?

Rick put on his combat suit. "Stay away from the pump, the piping, and even the connection to the tank. I don't want a leak hitting you with this stuff. But yell if you start to see any of it." He started up the pump and began siphoning the liquid out of his brewery tank. Up in the air to the ship that Alexis had hovering just barely above the building.

It was only while they were pumping it that Rick kicked himself. How were they going to clean up a leak, if anything leaked? Still it was too late now. If he stopped now he was going to have to find another pump and another hose.

It seemed to take forever. "It's full, Dad! Shut down the pump and throw all of it over the side." None of them cared about the mess they left behind. The Zombies could have it. Not that they had seen any of them yet.

He ran his scanner over every inch of the tank before letting anyone else near it. "Close up, Alexis, get us in orbit, and plot a jump. It's time to go get us a McKenzie Beam." Rick was tired but happy.

+x+ [- **O** -] +x+

Kate had talked her parents into going up to the bridge so they could see just where they were.

Jim wasn't sure about it. "We weren't invited."

Kate moved in closer and did her best to whisper. "Alexis hears everything." To her way of thinking, if Alexis didn't like this plan she would find a way to stop them.

They arrived just in time to see Rick talk about being right over with his payment. They missed seeing who he was talking to.

"Can we help?" Kate wanted to help. The sooner this was done the sooner she could get Rick in his bedroom.

"Yes, you three can stay here for now." Rick started to walk past them.

"Rick?" Now Kate really did want to actually help.

"Stay here! They only know about me and Alexis and for now it needs to stay that way." Rick did his best to glare at each of them. "Alexis, lock them in here and if they get out… You're not too big or old for me to put over my knee." Rick wasn't sure just what he could do to her. Not really.

"They'll stay, Dad." Alexis didn't show up but did answer him.

Not saying anything, Rick nodded and headed for his combat suit, just in case.

"Alexis!?" There was still one person she could talk to and try and convince.

This time Alexis did show herself. "Sorry, but Dad's right. We need this Beam. It's the one weapon that's powerful enough and will fit in this ship." She had no intention of disobeying her dad. But maybe it was time to tell them something else. "Over here." She walked over to the 3D table and waited for them to join her.

"Dad told you that not all Zombies are that stupid and mindless. Unfortunately he's right." Alexis brought up the image of a military ship. "This is a Bree Battleship, one of the most powerful ships in the known Universe. It alone has enough firepower to kill everything on Earth. Effectively killing everything, leaving behind a completely lifeless rock."

"Wait, wait, wait." Johanna was trying to keep up. "Are you trying to tell us that one or more Zombies has a ship like this and is smart enough to know how to use it?" This was beginning to scare the crap out of her.

"The Bree are not immune to becoming Zombies. If the captain of this ship and enough of his officers managed to maintain a part of who they used to be, they **will** be able to operate this ship. They could spread the infection on purpose. Perhaps even attack defending ships while other Zombies infect everyone. Other ships, a planet." Alexis lowered her head. What was happening to the Universe was looking more and more unstoppable.

"GOOD GOD!" Jim collapsed against the table and his head dropped until it almost rested on it.

Johanna spun away from the table so she didn't have to see it any longer. Alexis left the display of the Bree ship in place, though.

"This is happening everywhere?" Kate was starting to see just how big the universe was and surely it was big enough for the good guys to stop all this.

"No, not everywhere. However, it **is** spreading faster and farther every day. Any information I have on what might be called safe areas, might not be any longer or soon won't be. My scans don't show any infection where we are. So provided Dad can make a deal, we'll have our weapon.

"Then we have to find out what the person that can install it wants. Then find out what whoever has the shield emitters wants. Then and only then will we be free enough to move around. Not safe but safer." Alexis knew that Bree Battleship could shoot holes in them even with shields.

+x+ [- **O** -] +x+

The three of them were starting to fall asleep which wasn't easy when the bridge actually had very few chairs and they weren't meant to be sleeping in. When Alexis showed up. "Dad's coming back, he says he has news." She didn't know what he meant by news, but was hoping it had to do with their weapon.

She unlocked the bridge and let him in.

"Sorry it took so long." Rick walked up to Kate and looked at her parents. "He's accepted his payment and is actually going to install the Beam for us. With my help and Alexis's oversight." Rick thought that wasn't just good news, it was great news.

"Oh, and he also downloaded this." Rick held out a data chip, went over to an access port, and inserted it. Alexis didn't bat an eye and dove right in to find out what was on it. Learning things always had been a passion of hers.

Alexis had all of it in just seconds. "Holy crap, Dad! Is this accurate?" She was hoping he would tell her that it was just a theory or a guess.

"Sorry to say, but no. It's a compilation of everything he knows from other clients. I need you to do the same so I can go back with all of our data." It was part of the deal.

Kate wasn't following. "What are you two talking about?"

"I can guess. It's about Zombies, isn't it?" Johanna had no trouble speculating what would cause these two to sound like this.

"Yeah, between when we had our last data and now, the Universe has gotten smaller by a total of an entire galaxy plus another 12 systems. Those 12 systems are all located in the Milky Way." It wasn't just bad news, it was _**BAD**_ _!_

"SHIT!" Jim sat back down and tried to think. "Will this weapon and your shields really help?" After listening to Alexis about that Bree Battleship he was starting to wonder just what chance any of them had. "And why haven't we seen any of these Zombies yet?" Earth was supposed to be covered in them, so where were they?

"Keep in mind Zombies will rip you open and eat you alive." Rick knew that would reduce the number of Zombies.

"But they're dead. Do they eat all of you? What about the bones that remain? We haven't seen any of those. Do they eat animals too?" He couldn't remember even seeing a dog let alone wildlife.

Alexis popped back into view. "Pretty much, yeah. We believe they actually take the bones and gnaw on them wherever it is they retreat to. Which we believe is underground or deep inside a building. They seem to shun daylight. We have no proof that it actually hurts them, but they do avoid it," she restated.

"I think my stomach is queasy." Kate placed a hand on her middle and her imagination had no trouble seeing some toothy dead person gnawing on bones somewhere in the dark.

"And your weapon?" Johanna got back on topic since it was much more useful and far more satisfying.

"He has the weapon and he has a team that can install it. Since I used to be an engineer, I'm going to help them. Plus Alexis can see all parts of this ship so she can watch them. Part of the deal is that we feed them. I, uh, may have volunteered your skills in the kitchen." Rick tried to smile while looking at Johanna.

"Oh, did you now?" Johanna glared at him even if she was more than willing, since it sounded like having a weapon was turning into a damn good thing to have. Still it made her feel good as she watched Rick shrink under her gaze.

+x+ [- **O** -] +x+

They'd been there for an entire week and had seen workers come and go. They had also watched Rick almost work himself to death. Long after the team had left he was still working.

Kate had tried to talk him into going to his room. Partly because he was working too hard and partly because she was ready to have sex. She wanted the feel of having him inside her. It got to the point that she was sulking in her room.

"Alexis, have you got a moment?" Kate had questions for her.

Alexis popped up. "Of course, what do you need?" Since this entire time was all about the McKenzie Beam, Alexis was guessing she had questions about it.

"Meredith was your birth mother." Kate simply reiterated what she'd been told.

"Yes." Alexis hadn't been expecting that and it had her looking at Kate a little more closely.

"Has he gone on dates or anything since then?" Kate was beginning to really think that despite Rick being 10 years older than she, he was far less experienced than she was.

"No… Why are you asking?" She should be talking to her dad, not her.

"He's shy, almost too shy. He won't talk about his past much." Not that Kate had told him a whole lot about herself either. "He was 15 when he had you and there hasn't been anyone since." Kate had been listening, she just wasn't sure she believed him.

"We've been on the run since I was a baby. Everywhere we went, Zombies were either already there or arrived soon after. Dad did all he could." She didn't blame him for a Zombie catching up to her. He had at least killed it before it ate her.

"All that time." Kate began believing it especially when it came from Alexis. "No one!" He was far too good-looking and way too sexy for someone not to notice.

Alexis stood there shaking her head. "He likes you." Alexis had noticed his attraction to her, not that it was hard to miss.

"I like him, too." Actually she thought she was falling in love with him. "You're not angry?" If Alexis was mad she had a big problem and had no clue what to do about it.

"No, ... I'll only be angry if you hurt him. He's all I have." She literally had no one else.

"What about Meredith's or Rick's parents? Your grandparents." They hadn't yet talked about them yet.

"I don't know anything about my mom's parents. Dad's parents…they stayed behind once to help us get away. We don't know what happened to them." They both thought they were dead or worse.

"So they might be alive." Kate grabbed onto that possibility in an instant. "Can we go looking for them? Go the last place that they were seen maybe? Go where they might have escaped to?"

"You remember how much of the Universe is infected, right?" Alexis watched as Kate nodded a little and hung her head a bit as well. "And that in one jump we could be anywhere? With a few limitations." Meaning even if they had escaped they could have jumped anywhere in the known Universe.

Kate let herself fall back onto her huge bed. "Shit!" In a way she liked being in control. It was just that she also wanted Rick to take charge some times. And it was sounding like she was going to be the second person he had ever had sex with. Not that she had been with that many guys. Most of them had been just blowjobs. And it didn't sound like he had even done that much, if any. He may have lied to her about paying for sex a couple of times to make her feel better and not scare her away.

"Thanks, Alexis." That was all she needed to know and Alexis disappeared.

"Alexis!" She had another question.

"Yes?" The thirteen-year-old instantly reappeared.

"You're sure you're okay with me being involved with your dad?" She felt weird asking a young teenager who wasn't really alive for her acceptance for her to be involved with Rick.

"Dad and I have been alone for long enough. I truly want you and your parents to stay. We were lucky to have found you." Alexis smiled then retreated back into her computer.

"We've been lucky, too." Their future actually looked a lot brighter now. "Out in space." Kate placed her hands over her mouth and smiled widely. "I wonder if I can recreate my Lieutenant Chloe costume?"


	13. Chapter 13

**HUNTER AND HUNTED**

 **Chapter Thirteen**

 _Sorry everyone, I lost internet for a few days. Nothing coming in and nothing going out._

Kate and the others watched as a team carrying all kinds of things came walking into their ship through one of the three airlocks. "Droids!" Kate whispered to her mother since she was rather excited about seeing them. It wasn't all droids; there were also what the others were calling clear aliens since they looked nothing like what any of them had ever seen before in their lives.

"Is that a…bug?" Jim barely whispered and was equally shocked to watch something crawl in. "What is that thing?" Jim's lips had hardly moved this time. To him it looked like a walking rock, or maybe more centipede-like since it had a shit load of legs. However, its skin, if that was what it was, looked like rock to him.

Then came Rick followed by the Devil himself. Or at least that was what he looked like. Rick walked him right up to them. "Meet Draylor. This is Jim, Johanna, and Kate Beckett. Draylor here has just what we need and has agreed to help install it for us." Rick thought it was a great deal since it meant he didn't need to find someone else to do it.

Draylor stepped right up to Kate and grinned what looked like an evil grin to Kate. "You look delicious. Perhaps later." Draylor wasn't thinking about eating her. Well maybe eating her pussy followed by fucking her until she blacked out, but definitely not eating her.

Kate felt bile rising up in her throat and then she saw Rick standing there holding his hands together like he was praying. She managed to get a single word out though she felt like choking on it. "Perhaps."

Draylor simply smiled.

"This way." Rick needed to show him everything he needed to see to install the weapon.

The Becketts watched them walk away. "Katie?" Johanna wasn't sure just what to say. Though if she was thinking what she was thinking, her opinion of Rick just went into the gutter.

"Over my dead body." If Rick was thinking what she thought he was thinking, she was going to kill him.

The three of them chose to go to the bridge to get some answers. Rick was likely busy, however, Alexis would have time to talk to them.

"Alexis?" Johanna yelled the second they entered the bridge.

Alexis popped up. "What's up?" She was busy watching what everyone was doing on her ship.

"What is that thing? …Deadlor." Johanna wanted answers.

"His name is Draylor and he owns this station. As to what he is, he is a Karellen. What do you want to know?" They apparently had a lot of questions.

"He said I looked…delicious and that maybe we could get together later." Kate was still cringing, not just from what he said but how he'd said it.

It didn't help that Alexis was smiling. Alexis was tempted to let all of them sweat for a while, but she really starting to like them so she let them off the hook. "The Karellen are known to have, well they have the biggest…biggest." Now Alexis had a problem. All three of them just stood there staring at her, waiting. "They have the biggest…um…penis known. It's said that it provides intimate pleasure that's indescribable." Alexis did her best to look like the pleasure truly was indescribable and then chose to disappear to keep from having them seeing her grinning.

"Well don't look at me!" Kate glared at her parents. She was still going to do it over her dead body.

"I certainly am not," Johanna insisted before her husband started getting any ideas.

"Don't look at me, either," Jim added, doing his best to not laugh.

They were all still on the bridge when Rick and Draylor showed up. Johanna bowed out quickly. "I have work to do."

Jim was right behind her. "I'm with her, she's my wife."

"I'm their daughter, I don't have a choice." Kate was close on their heels. She didn't get too far before she heard Rick.

"She's shy," Rick told Draylor. Kate was growling; she was **so** going to make Rick hurt when she had him alone.

"He looks like the Devil himself." Johanna shook her body to try and shake it all off her.

"I'm going to kill him." Kate meant Rick though neither Jim nor Johanna were sure just who she meant.

+x+ [- **O** -] +x+

Kate thought about knocking but she was furious so she pounded on the door until Rick opened it. When he did she marched right in, going past him. Then she stood there with her arms crossed across her chest and stared at him.

"I'm kind of tired, Kate. Can't this wait?" Rick hadn't closed the door yet. He really did want to get some sleep before spending another long day installing his weapon.

"NO, close the door, Rick." She stood there and threw daggers at him with her eyes.

Rick sighed but closed the door. "What have you done? Just who is this Dreadlor?" Kate knew that wasn't his name but she didn't care.

"His name is Draylor and he's installing our weapon. It's part of the deal." Rick thought he had made that clear.

"Am I part of your deal?" She was going to kill him if she was.

"Your mother's cooking is but not you." Rick looked at Kate and saw that she looked pissed at him. For a moment he thought about teasing her but he was bone-tired and they still had a lot of work to do.

"Draylor has sex on his brain 24 hours a day. Don't worry about him, he's not going to rape you. Though I'm sure he does want you in his bed." Rick had endured questions about Kate all day long.

"Over my dead body." Kate walked up to him and poked him in the chest. "And yours, mister."

Then he laughed and Kate was now certain she was going to kill him. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her. At first she refused to kiss him back, but that didn't last long; soon she was ardently returning his kiss.

She broke from the kiss and rested her head on his chest. "It's still not happening." Kate had no intention of being with him.

"I told him that you're with me. He'll leave you alone. Not that he wasn't happy about it." Draylor had even asked if Rick would change his mind.

"YOU… HE...!" Now Kate had come there to give him an earful only to find out he had already defended her. "I should spank you for this, but you're tired." She didn't want him too tired so that they didn't enjoy their first time together.

"Don't think this is over, Richard Castle." Kate poked him in the chest as she said each of his names. "Now get some sleep. …And if you wake up with an erection, let me know and I'll take care of it for you." She smiled at him and wondered if he would actually do that.

"I'll let you know." Rick gave her a quick kiss.

"Promise? Pinky promise?" Kate held out her little finger. Rick looked at her, not understanding what she was talking about. "It means you can never, ever break it." She knew it was childish, but she was serious.

Rick decided he was serious so he interlinked his pinky finger with hers. "Night, baby." Kate lifted up to briefly kiss him then retreated to her room.

Unfortunately Kate couldn't get to sleep. Between Draylor wanting to have sex with her and her pinky promise with Rick to give him a blowjob if he woke up with an erection, her mind just wouldn't give her any peace. Plus she was ready to have sex and wanted Rick inside her.

After tossing and turning, she was ready to kill herself. Since her bed was so big she was actually now laying crossways on her bed with one of her pillows. "Damn it!" She pounded her pillow to soften it up; giving up, she put her head on it.

"Please!?" Kate begged, looking toward the ceiling. It was driving her insane. Then she thought about getting up and knocking on Rick's door and fucking his brains out. Though she knew that he had worked all day and actually was tired. She decided that maybe a quick shower would solve the problem.

+x+ [- **O** -] +x+

The install team was gone. Alexis had watched every move all of them had made during the entire time. Now all of them were on the bridge waiting while Alexis performed yet another simulation and final diagnostic.

"I have a question." Johanna really wanted to know. "What did he need all that Krokodil for?" That stuff was just plain evil.

"I'm not sure you'd believe me, but okay." Rick walked them over to the display table. "Put up one of the droids, please, Alexis."

Alexis was busy but she dug up a 3D image and put it up. "You've seen these guys, they're all mechanical with a fair amount of electrics. Your standard droid." Rick kept the description simple.

"Now put up a 3D image of me." Soon there was small Rick standing next to the droid. "Meet the next generation of droids. They're synthetic instead of metal."

Jim was lost. "I don't think I understand." A lot of this was just too science fictiony for him to follow easily.

Rick gave his best shot at an explanation. "Okay, think of it this way. If I take a knife or large blade and hit a droid, the most I'm likely going to do, if it's made well, is scratch it. If this was really me and I was hit with that same blade, I would get a nasty cut and perhaps have my arm cut off. I would bleed blood just like you three."

"NO!" Kate was following and had jumped ahead. "It looks like you and I save that it isn't made of skin or have organs like we do. When it gets cut it will bleed Krokodil blood." Rick was actually a little impressed that Kate could see it.

"Okay, but I don't see the point. If it gets cut everyone will know that it is a fake. It will never pass a medical inspection." Johanna didn't see any benefit.

"There are actually any number of benefits, however, there's one big one given our present situation." Rick tried to give them a hint but saw blank faces looking back at him.

"If a Zombie catches up to any of us, it will rip us open, and eat us. Or say it bites or scratches us or infects us in any way, we will become a Zombie, just like it." Hopefully that helped.

"There's nothing to eat, no blood to infect." Kate was amazed.

"Think about it. If you had an entire army of these new droids. Totally immune from the Zombies they're sent to fight. They can still get ripped open and perhaps die. You simply patch it back together and send it back out." Rick saw lots of benefits and not just attacking Zombies. They would end up immune to a lot of things that would kill any of them. Go where they couldn't.

"How many of these does he have?" Johanna had finally caught on. She was thinking it had better be hundreds of thousands if not millions.

Rick held up two fingers. "Just the two prototypes. I gave him a list of all the ingredients and where we got them from. In exchange he agreed to install the weapon, not just barter with us. That and your cooking skills." He smiled at Johanna. "Thank you for that by the way." It had been the final straw that he had needed to sway him.

"A drug that turns you into a Zombie used to create droids to fight Zombies." Kate chuckled at the implications. "Can he do it?" She was thinking his station was far too small.

Rick shrugged. "Alone, probably not. If he sells it to others who can build that many, who knows." Rick had no idea. "Alexis?" It was time to get back to why they were here.

"Ready, Dad." Alexis popped up and looked happy.

"Jump to someone's asteroid belt and pick a nice big rock for us to blow to hell." Rick was ready and moved over to their new console that was used to lock onto a target and fire the weapon.

A moment later they heard, "Jump complete. …Target found. …Locking the McKenzie Beam on target." Alexis was dying to see this puppy in action.

"Out there." Rick pointed to a bank of windows and waited for the Becketts to move over so they could see. "Confirmation confirmed. Target is locked, I've got all greens. Here we go…firing." He pressed his finger on the panel.

Jim, Johanna, and Kate watched as a brilliant white beam streaked across the dark sky. When the beam ended everything went dark and there was no explosion.

"What happened to the lights?" Jim didn't see anything. He even lifted his hand up and couldn't even see it.

At that very moment all of them started to float up off the floor. All three Becketts began flapping their arms wildly since they had never experienced this before. Rick was faster, though, and had grabbed hold of his console.

"SHIT!" Rick cursed; this wasn't suppose to happen. "Alexis?" Maybe she knew what had happened. "Alexis!" When she didn't even answer him he began to panic. He knew where the computer access was so he blindly pushed off and floated in that direction, feeling his way until he was sure he'd reached it.

But it was just as dark as everything else. Then a tiny amount of light popped into existence. "Emergency lighting." At least that was working. None of them saw all that much, but at least they could see each other and could see how to get around.

"What happened?" Kate, like her parents, was still flapping her arms trying to reach something, anything so that they weren't just floating.

"Main power's out. All we have is a few emergency lights. We're dead in the water." All his panels in front of him were dead. "I need your help," Rick said, his voice shaking. "Each of you saw where they installed both power conduits. I want you to chase them all down to the Engineering Bay and come back and tell me what you see. I'm going up to the weapon."

"And just how do you propose we do that!?" Johanna was still flapping her arms and even kicking her legs a little but had found doing that wasn't helping.

"No Zero-G training, I take it." Rick was ready to slap himself. Of course they didn't have any training. They came from a planet that could barely get anything out into space.

"Anything you do will mostly have an equal and opposite reaction. So inhale deeply and blow away from where you want to go. It's slow going, but it'll eventually get you there," Rick explained. "Think of it as a mini rocket using air from your lungs."

He watched all three until they had hold of something and had even learned to push off to get from one place to another.

"Let's go. I'll take the next two floors, Jim can take the next two, and Katie, you take Engineering and the decks." Johanna started floating toward the elevator.

"Main power's out so the transit pods are down. You'll have to float up and down the ladders." The ladders were only there for emergencies and this certainly qualified as one – a big one. "Communications are down, too, so you can't talk to each other. Come back and tell me what you find."

Rick followed them over as each went down while he went up.

+x+ [- **O** -] +x+

Rick hadn't found anything wrong. He was back on the bridge and listened to what Johanna had seen for more accurately hadn't seen. Everything looked normal to her. Just darker.

They waited together for Jim and Katie to show up. Jim showed up and told them the same thing. Everything looked normal to him, except for it being a lot darker.

Finally Kate came back. "No fires, no damage that I can see. It's just darker and nothing, literally nothing works." She had pressed a few panels where she knew what was supposed to happen.

"What happened?" Kate asked, hoping that Rick knew.

"I don't actually know. You three didn't find any damage and neither did I. Until we have enough power I can't even do a diagnostic. But there's worse." Rick was deeply concerned and was really starting to get scared. "Alexis isn't responding." She was basically a computer program and without power, what did that do to her? Rick went back to pressing panels in a desperate attempt to get her to say something, anything would do.

Kate pushed off so she could reach him and held onto his arm. "I'm sure she's fine." She had to be. "Rick!" Kate placed her hands on his because his hands were moving rather frantically. "She's fine. We need to know what you want us to do. How do we get the power back on? You need to think. …Please, baby, you need to think." Kate had used the word _baby_ for so long that she didn't notice. Jim and Johanna did, though, as did Rick, just for a different reason.

Jim and Johanna looked at each other and didn't know what to say. But their first problem was getting the power back on.

"I…" Rick tried to think. "Stay here and don't touch anything." There was only one place for him to go and he pushed off so he could reach the ladder.

Determined to stay with him, Kate announced, "I'm going with you," and followed him.

"You need to stay here." Rick knew where he was going and didn't need her taking any risks.

"Not a chance. I'm going and I'm going to help. Now let's go." Kate went past him to the ladder and glanced back at him. "So where are we going?" She knew full well that if Rick lost Alexis, she stood a good chance of losing Rick. "Baby, we need to move before it starts to get really cold." Kate tried to push him along. They couldn't see their breath yet but she knew that space was cold. Unimaginably cold. She shuddered at the thought of it.

Rick groaned but decided she could come; he would just get her to go where he damn well told her to go and stand there. "Fine, Engineering." He went past her and started pulling himself down the ladder.

+x+ [- **O** -] +x+

"What's first?" Kate stopped next to him.

Rick checked to make sure the power was indeed off and everything was dead. It was enough for him to open a large heavy door and look inside. What he saw was not encouraging.

"What's that?" Except for the light that leaked in it was dark inside.

"Power generator. If it was working and you stepped inside you would vaporize in an instant." Rick said. "Up there, anti-ions are formed and shot down to the floor. This produces our power. It should be always working, always firing anti-ions. The more power we need the more anti-ions it shoots."

"So what do we do?" This was beyond her.

"I need to manually fire the first anti-ions into the floor below. Once the first one starts up the others will follow once it creates enough power." Rick closed the door and went over to another one. This one was in the ceiling.

Rick didn't need a ladder, though he had thought about going to get one. He pushed off to go up and opened it. "It looks kind of small." Kate looked up past him and didn't see much. Actually it looked like a tight fit.

"I need a light. Over there." He pointed where she needed to look since he knew there were no emergency lights where he needed to go. "Thanks." Rick took it from Kate who had pushed off to get him one and started his way into the tight space.

Kate watched him start in and saw him get stopped the instant his shoulders hit the opening. "You're too big." He was a big man, there was no way he would fit. It just wouldn't work.

"I can't be, this is the only way!" he said frantically. He was going to lose Alexis if he didn't do this.

"Rick, baby, come down. You're too big. …But I'm not." She was a lot thinner and finer-boned than he was. It might still be a tight fit, but she thought she could make it.

"You don't know what to do." Rick tried again, only by now his tears had started falling. His fears were beginning to get to him.

"Then teach me. Tell me what I need to do. Exactly what do I need to do?" Kate pulled on his legs to get him to come back down.

+x+ [- **O** -] +x+

Kate had listened intently to every word he'd said. Some of the words meant nothing to her so she'd had him explain whatever it was looked like. He'd told her three times and had her repeat it back to him until she got it right.

Now there, she was squeezing her way up this tiny tunnel with her arms stretched out in front of her. She had long wished that her breasts were bigger and that her hips and ass were just a bit bigger. Now she was glad she was so skinny. "I'm athletic not skinny," Kate told herself.

"What?!" Rick had heard her.

"Nothing, just talking to myself." Kate struggled to reach the end. Finally she couldn't go any farther and began repeating to herself every word Rick had told her.

"DONE!" Kate yelled down as she looked at what she'd pressed and saw lights starting to light up. "YES!" It was doing just what he had told her it should do. "I GOT IT!" Now she had to get back out.

Kate felt his hands on her as he helped her float down, then shifted her into his arms, where he started kissing her with tears in his eyes.

They hadn't yet had sex, but it was at this moment that Kate knew, she just knew, that she loved him and couldn't wait to take the next step in their relationship. She was going to love him and prove that she loved him.


	14. Chapter 14

**Hunter and Hunted**

 **Chapter Fourteen**

They were both climbing up ladders when they noticed that more and more lights were on, so Rick decided to risk it and went over to the center transit pod and found that it was working. It beat continuing to climb ladders so they took it.

It was as they traveled that they noticed that the gravity was slowly returning. Their feet were actually on the ground by the time it had stopped.

Rick stepped out to find Johanna on her knees in front of a crying Alexis. "PUMPKIN!" His prayers had been answered. He wasted no time in rushing over to her and wrapping his arms around her.

All three Becketts watched as two souls that couldn't touch and couldn't be touched each did their best to hug each other. All three heard a lot of sniffling as they both cried. Rick finally pulled back and looked at her. "You're sure you're all right?" They'd both whispered to each other about how much they loved the other.

"It was scary, Dad, everything went black. There was nothing!" Alexis wiped away her tears that didn't actually exist as did Rick whose tears were real. "Can we not do that again?" She didn't want to have to go through that again, ever.

"Definitely. No more firing the McKenzie Beam. We do, however, need to figure out what went wrong." It should have worked. Alexis had done any number of simulations and hadn't said anything about them going black.

Alexis had been with him about wanting a weapon. It was just that now that they had it, she wasn't a fan of it any longer. But he was right. If firing the weapon had done this, what else could do this?

"You're sure you're all right?" Kate stepped up next to Rick and looked Alexis over who, save for a lot of tears, didn't look any different.

"She popped into existence and was crying. She only got better after she found you," Johanna explained. She had tried to hug her but had found that that was impossible.

"I'm so sorry, pumpkin." This was all his fault. He had gotten them this ship. Had designs for this weapon and had designs for shield emitters. Now he wasn't sure if all of this wasn't his biggest mistake yet.

"It was a good idea, Dad, it's just too big for us." Alexis meant the McKenzie Beam.

"Yeah." He had almost killed her with his grand plans. Rick went back to hugging her even if he couldn't feel anything.

Kate wiped at her tears as she heard her mother sniffle and turned to see her parents softly crying. These two had managed to touch all of their hearts. She was glad they had found them.

"The artificial gravity is back on." Rick comments about the obvious.

Rick pulled away and saw tears on his daughter's face. "I think I have a solution to our problem…maybe." He had only just thought of it.

Alexis wasn't sure she wanted to hear his idea. She liked this ship, only this ship really was just a private yacht, not a military vessel.

"Hear me out." Rick stood up and started pacing in a tight circle. "These shield emitters are each going to come with their own series of anti-ion generators, little ones similar to the ones we now have, right?" He stopped to look at Alexis who just nodded.

"What if we come up with a way to combine all of our power? All of our power goes to the shield emitters, provided they can handle the increase and not just blow up on us. Or send all of our power to the McKenzie Beam." Rick thought that might solve the problem. They were lacking in overall power so this just might work.

"If I follow you, we could either shoot someone or prevent them from shooting us. Not both." Kate thought she was keeping up.

"There are more powerful power generators than ours." Rick proceeded to argue for his idea. "It's just that we would be in a ship dock for months trying to change out for a bigger one, and that's IF it would even fit."

"Why didn't that guy who installed it say something?" Johanna was starting to get mad at him. He might be the cause of this, not Rick.

Rick shrugged. "He sold it and installed it as part of our deal. I wanted it and he provided it." If he'd known his ship's power was far too weak for this thing, Rick would've liked him to have said something. Still in his mind, this was all his fault.

"Gets his money and keeps his mouth shut!" Kate was way past mad at him. "And that jerk thought I was going to have sex with him. ARGH!" She punched the air. She started to wonder if he would be so full of himself if she cut his cock off for him.

"What do we do next?" Jim queried, wishing he had his gun and that guy was standing right there. He was almost convinced that he would shoot him for this.

Alexis answered his question. "We sit here. Power is only at 28% and slowly rising. It's going to take hours until we have enough power to jump anywhere or even move, really." They were still hurting.

"Do you two know how to play Poker?" They needed something to do to pass the time.

"Katie!?" Just when had her daughter learned Poker?

"I know lots of card games, Mom. I suppose you want us to play Gin, or maybe Hearts." She was betting these two didn't so she could take them to the cleaners.

Her mother glared at her. "Fine, we'll play Hearts. I'll go get the cards." Kate worked on a way to get Rick to play one-on-one Strip Poker with her. He would be naked in no time, she was sure of it.

+x+ [- **O** -] +x+

The card game had actually turned out to be fun. Rick had never played before so Kate had done all she could to try and get him to bet correctly. She'd used every word she could think of that had a second meaning to it. All you had to do was ignore the present circumstances. It had her parents glaring at her for her obvious bending of the rules.

Then there had been Alexis. Since she couldn't actually hold the cards they played without her. That didn't mean she wasn't involved, though. "Stand over there, young lady." Johanna had had enough of Alexis spying on her cards.

"I haven't said a word. …I promise." Alexis held up her hand and then mimicked doing what Kate showed her. She crossed her heart with her hand.

"You're using hand signals or something. Just stand behind your father and don't move." Johanna had glared at Alexis through most of the last game. Still she never caught on that Alexis never actually had to move to see everyone's cards. Now getting all this information to her dad without _Eagle Eye Johanna_ seeing her do it was another matter.

"What's our power up to now?" Rick sat back and watched as Kate collected all of the cards, putting them back in their box.

"It's up to 82%, more than enough for a jump. I just need to know where," Alexis replied. She was happy that they now had power and she didn't have to go back into the black again. That had been down right scary.

"Shield emitters and the power generators that go with them. Braynard Station, if you please," Rick asked his beloved daughter. "Let's find out what the want for them so we can go get it. You three are going to love this." He knew something they didn't.

+x+ [- **O** -] +x+

It only took a moment, though both Alexis and Rick noticed a dip in their overall power output. "We may need to have this looked at," he whispered and watched Alexis nod slightly. Yes, each jump used up power, but it wasn't supposed to be this apparent. Something wasn't working correctly.

"And here we are." Rick pointed to the windows while the Becketts moved to look.

"What's that?" Johanna turned to look at Rick when she asked her question and then turned back to look at it again.

"It kind of looks like a giant spider web in space," Jim commented; it actually glistened so they could see the innumerable lines that formed it.

"Rick!?" Just looking at it made Kate shudder. She hated spiders and had shrieked more than once when caught off guard by seeing one. It usually ended with her stomping her foot on the thing, squishing it flat.

"Pretty amazing, isn't it!" Rick saw the beauty of it. "Each tube is hollow and the walls are so thin you can actually see through it, yet it's very strong. Connected like this, the entire structure is incredibly strong." He joined them to gaze at it.

"I'm not going, Dad," Alexis said firmly. She hated spiders. Just being this close made her skin crawl.

"Oh, don't be such a baby. They can't even touch you." Alexis was a hologram after all.

"I'm still not going." Alexis retreated into her computer and disappeared.

"Coward," Rick called after her. "Do you three want to join me? It's a sight you may never see again. A once in a lifetime opportunity." Rick played it up since he really did want to see it one last time.

"Kate?" He wondered what it would take to convince her to come with him. Kate looked at him like he had lost his mind. He had cracked and gone off the deep end.

Rick dangled some bait to get her to come. "You wanted a suit just like mine. These people are the best. You might even get to watch them make it right in front of you. Provided we can afford it." He had no idea what they would want for it or the shield emitters. "These people make the best stuff."

Kate opened her eyes wide. "A power suit just like yours? Maybe even better?" She looked out at the spider web again and swallowed hard. "Are they going to eat me?" Spiders, after all, cocooned what they caught and then sucked it dry, killing whatever was inside.

"That depends. If you manage to insult their queen then you're lunch." Save for that Rick had no fears. He decided to push her a little and began walking toward the transit pod. "You coming, Kate?" He got into the pod and waited a moment.

"I love you, both of you," Kate reminded her parents and ran to join Rick.

"This better not be a mistake," Kate whispered to herself on the ride down and heard Rick chuckle softly.

Rick didn't bother with his suit. Besides it would only insult them. He was actually grinning because Kate had latched onto his back to hide behind him as they walked through the tube to reach the airlock so they could enter.

Kate poked her head out from behind him and looked at the door. It was see-through and she could see what was on the other side. "OH, SHIT!" She held onto Rick a little tighter and pressed her head into his back. If they didn't see her they wouldn't eat her.

She heard the door slide open with a soft hiss. That was followed by clacking sounds, like bone against bone or something. This was followed by a mechanical-sounding voice. "Richard Castle. You got a new ship." They hadn't seen one like it so didn't know who was coming.

"Hi, Gina." Rick was all smiles. "Like it? I got it cheap. It's a little used, but it's big and plush inside. I'll give you a tour." He was more than willing to show it off.

"How's your husband? What's his name." Rick had forgotten.

"Josh did his duty and provided what I needed after our children were born. I do miss him, though," Gina sighed. "…What do you have attached to your back? Have you picked up a parasite?" She would arrange to have it removed for him – for a small price.

Rick spun a little, pried Kate off of him, and presented her to Gina. "Gina, this is Kate. Kate this is one of my best friends, Gina. Kate is my mate and she's a little shy."

"Mate?" Kate squeaked and turned to look at Rick.

"Say hi, before she eats you," Rick whispered softly to her.

Hearing that had Kate spinning back to look at the massive spider that was standing in front of her. "Mate, yes… Rick is my mate. It's, it's a pleasure to meet you." Kate began to reach out her hand to shake and quickly snatched it back.

"She's as ugly as you are, maybe even more so. I'm sure you're perfect for each other." Rick's mate didn't look like she had any meat on her at all. She barely rated even being a snack.

Gina turned a little. "You can go." Gina didn't fear either of them. Rick and especially Kate watched as three other spiders they hadn't seen scurry away quickly.

"Our Queen will want to see you." Gina started walking and felt Rick and Kate follow closely behind her. It was a spider web after all. Everyone felt everything inside it. "So what brings you to our humble home? Zombies, I'm guessing." Word had gotten around, not that she nor her people feared them.

"In a manner of speaking. I want to barter for three of your best shield emitters with separate anti-ion generators, have them installed and interconnected with my main ship's power as well as a combat suit for Kate."

That stopped Gina in her tracks. "You must have gotten rich since last time I saw you" She was impressed. "I am sorry to hear about your child. That was a sad day." Gina knew exactly where Alexis was now located. To her and her people being trapped in a computer was worse than death.

Rick defended both his daughter and his actions. "Alexis has learned to adapt." When Gina started walking again, and so not to piss her off, he asked, "How is Queen Evelyn? Which husband is she on now?"

Gina smiled internally. This ugly human knew them well. "Our Queen is on her eighth husband. She will be laying eggs soon." It also meant the workers would be busy expanding their station to hold all the young.

"Eighth?" Kate whispered into Rick's back since she was plastered up against his back yet again as they walked.

"The Queen selects a male to be her husband and effectively get her pregnant. Once she finishes laying her eggs she eats him to regain her strength, then repeats the process for as long as she is queen," Rick explained as they walked.

"Eww, gross!" It sounded disgusting to her. Gina was just about ready to turn on Kate for being so disgusting herself. "Maybe I should eat you after our first child," Kate teased Rick which had Gina snorting out a laugh. Perhaps his mate wasn't all that bad.

Kate missed seeing most of it since she had her head buried in Rick's back. However, the hair on her entire body was standing on end since she just knew there were spiders surrounding her. She could almost feel them crawling all over her.

"Wait here." Gina went through an opening. It was enough that Kate twisted her head around to see where she was going. What she saw was spiders. Spiders, followed by more spiders, accompanied by yet more spiders.

Kate tightened her hold on him. "Rick," she breathed in a trembling voice.

"Relax, you're about to meet their queen. Not everyone gets to see her. Especially outsiders like us." He'd only seen her once and hadn't known what a privilege it was at the time.

Kate groaned in response.

Gina came back. "Follow me." And waited until both of them started walking.

To Rick it looked the same as ever. It was large, open, and filled with spiders. The walls, ceiling, and even floor glistened. He still didn't understand how the place was lit, but there was light everywhere. Now it had him wondering what they used for power. "It's beautiful." It wasn't to his taste, but for a short visit it was amazing. It was enough that it had Kate turning her head to look. Right up until all she saw was spiders. The sight had her burying her head back into Rick.

"Your Majesty." Rick bowed just a touch and showed her that his hands were empty. He reached and used his strength to bring Kate around to stand next to him. "Greet her as Your Majesty. …Or end up a snack." He whispered the latter into her ear very softly.

Kate whimpered since the sight of the spider in front of her was way beyond intimidating. "Your Majesty," Kate managed to get out softly and then curtsied a little.

"Show her that your hands are empty, that you're not a threat," Rick whispered to her. That had Kate raising her hands in front of her. "This is my mate, Kate. This is her very first visit." _And likely her last_ _,_ Rick added to himself.

Kate whimpered a little louder as the Queen quickly strode right for them. This was it, she was going to die inside some spider's stomach. Kate closed her eyes and missed most of it. Then she cracked one eye open and saw legs brushing over her and Rick. She slammed them closed again.

"Have you put on weight, Richard Castle?" A new voice Kate hadn't heard before spoke, though it still sounded mechanical to her after hearing a lot of clacking.

Rick put his hand on his stomach. "It has been a few years, Your Majesty. I may have gained a couple of pounds." He vowed to add a weight room to his ship so he could lose those same pounds.

"It looks good on you." He almost looked good enough to eat now. "Do you not feed your mate?" His mate, though, was nothing but skin and bones.

Kate opened her eyes. "I eat!" She saw just how close the spider was and began shaking from head to toe, though she kept her eyes open this time.

"Have you provided her with children yet?" As far as the queen was concerned, getting a female pregnant was his only use.

"We're working on it, Your Majesty. It's not that easy for our kind. It takes some time. But I'm sure she will eventually." Rick was finally starting to have some fun but it was at Kate's expense.

"Make sure you gain some weight, Richard Castle, or your children will starve and your mate will die." She retreated back to her space that was above everyone else. It was time to get down to business. "What brings you here?"

"We come to barter. We require shield emitters with anti-ion generators. Three of them, installed and interconnected with our main power source. My mate here wants a battle suit so she can fight Zombies. We would like to know what you want for that."

Rick just stood there and waited, however, Kate was starting to worry since she wasn't talking. Plus being here was really getting to her. She could feel sweat beading on her upper lip and rolling down her spine.

The Spider Queen didn't know what she wanted in return, though. Not many aliens dared come to them to ask for anything. "Return tomorrow and you shall have my answer." She needed time to think and consult with her advisors.

"Of course, Your Majesty. We will both be back at this same time tomorrow. Thank you for considering our request. We look forward to your reply." Rick bowed a little more and showed her his hands. "Kate!" Rick whispered at her. Kate quickly bowed even deeper, holding out her hands. She was ready to run when Rick started walking backwards a number of steps before turning around.

Kate found Gina walking with them. "What do you think, Gina?" Rick knew her better than any of the others. Asking her wasn't violating any of their laws.

Gina was silent for a time as they walked. "I'm not one of her advisors, but if I was, I would ask for food. Zombies do not scare us, however, they're depleting our pool of food." They weren't hurting yet, but they were starting to feel the pinch.

"My mate and I will discuss it and come up with plans on how to get what you need. Thanks, Gina, you're a good friend."

"Until tomorrow, Richard Castle and his mate." Gina watched them until they were back in their ship and then webbed the opening closed so they couldn't sneak back in. It wasn't that she didn't trust Rick, it was just that she didn't want to get into trouble or the Queen would eat her.


	15. Chapter 15

**Hunter and Hunted**

 **Chapter Fifteen**

"How did it go?" Johanna was all over both of them the second they set foot out of the airlock and into their ship. Jim was standing next to her as was Alexis and all three wanted answers.

"I'm his mate." Kate looked at Rick. She was happy that he'd said it but was willing to let him sweat a little over calling her that since they weren't. …Yet.

Jim glared at Rick. "His what!"

"Ignore her. They needed a reason for her to be with me so I gave them one." Rick gave Kate a gimlet eye for calling him out on it.

"So you're saying you don't want me as your mate?" Kate crossed her arms across her chest and stared at him, her eyes narrowed.

Jim and Johanna started grinning. Kate looked to have things well in hand.

"They want us back tomorrow for their reply about what they want in return. …Not that they actually told us they could do what we asked for." Rick started to worry just a bit and shook it off. "Gina thinks the Queen will ask for food. We can talk about what they might want for food over dinner. Then come up with a plan on how to get it." He began walking away.

Jim and Johanna descended on Katie to talk about what it was like. "They're spiders, Mom! Great big, huge spiders!" Kate spread her arms wide to try and show just how big. Even that wasn't big enough.

"They talk using some kind of device, I think, and one's named Gina and the Queen's Evelyn. The Queen's pregnant and after she lays her eggs she's going to eat her eighth husband! It was **so** gross!" Kate started brushing her hands over her body, convinced that there were tiny spiders all over her. "I'm going to go take a shower." She left them, ignoring their questions and not stopping until she was naked and in her shower.

"How did it go, Dad? Really," Alexis asked on the way up to the bridge.

"Kate was scared out of her mind." Rick started chuckling. "She was convinced that they were going to eat her. And then the Queen came down and actually ran her legs across Kate to get a feel for her. I thought sure she was going to faint dead away." He stopped at the McKenzie panel. "Her voice sounded like she was squeaking." He was laughing now.

Alexis wasn't quite as amused. "She must have been scared senseless. And what did you do to defend her?" Alexis knew they were spiders and was sort of glad she didn't have a body anymore.

"I told them that Kate was my mate so that they knew she was important. Important enough not to eat her," Rick grumbled, feeling schooled by his kid.

"Spiders!" Alexis's entire body shook. "So they want food?"

"That's what Gina suggested the Queen might ask for. Zombies are likely diminishing their supply. So what do spiders consider food, where do we get it, and where do we store it?" His cargo bays were pretty full at the moment. "We might need to stop and get some food for all of us anyway."

"Spiders, spiders." Alexis hated the idea of doing a search on them, but they needed those shield emitters and generators. "Are they going to install them?"

Rick nodded his confirmation. "That was the deal I offered. That and getting Kate a combat suit."

"That means we'll have spiders crawling all over. I think I'm going to be sick." Alexis retreated into her computer so she could throw up in private.

"It's just a few spiders and we need this," he argued to empty space. "Spider food, pumpkin. Focus on that."

Alexis popped back up. " **We're** spider food, Dad!" She thought he was nuts.

He shook his head. "They said Kate was too skinny, that I wasn't fat enough. Besides, they can't actually eat us if they want something from us." Maybe they needed this deal as much as he did.

Alexis moaned and retreated into her computer to start searching for what a spider needed for food.

+x+ [- **O** -] +x+

Kate came out of her shower feeling so much better. She wrapped a towel around herself as a matter of habit before heading to her closet to search for something to wear. "MOM!" Johanna was sitting on her bed.

Her mother patted the bed next to her. "We need to talk, Katie." It was time to get some answers. "Sit down. Be thankful it's me and not your father. Now _sit."_ Johanna patted the space next to her again.

Kate had no idea what this was about but sat down a little farther away than the space her mother had patted. "What, Mom?" She hadn't done anything. In fact she'd done something good for everyone. She had started up all the power generators since Rick was too big to do it.

"You tell me… _b_ _aby!"_ Johanna stared at her daughter. She saw Katie's eyes open wide, then they had the look of a deer caught in the headlights. She'd been caught.

"It's not what you think." They hadn't had sex yet. Though that was only because circumstances had prevented it.

"So you and Rick aren't romantically involved?" Johanna didn't believe that for a moment and neither did her husband. Who, she was betting, was out looking for Rick even as they spoke, even though she had asked him not to just yet.

"Okay, it is what you think." Kate slumped. "But we haven't…done it yet." Talking to her mother about sex was far more difficult than she'd ever imagined.

"I'm not going to pretend that you're still a virgin, Katie. Based on your last few boyfriends, your father and I are just happy that you're not already pregnant." Johanna had no trouble picturing the one she least liked.

"Nothing happened with them. Well, mostly nothing." No, she wasn't a virgin but she wasn't that loose either.

"I'm not here to criticize you being with Rick. Actually based on all of the boyfriends your father and I know about, you've finally found one worth something. We just never expected it to be a real alien from outer space." Of all the places, neither of them had ever dreamed of this.

She glanced at her mom. "Rick's nice; I like him a lot."

"You do realize that he's ten years older than you and that at nineteen you aren't all that old." Johanna had automatically assumed that she would find someone while in college. Now she wasn't sure she was ever going to get into college. If there even was one any longer.

"I know and I know he's had a child. But it doesn't matter, Mom. I like Alexis. She's sweet and smart and has such cute orange hair. She kind of feels like the little sister I never had." Kate didn't see herself as being anyone's mom yet and wasn't ready to have kids herself.

Johanna was quiet for a time. "I'd ask you not to rush things, but I know that's never going to happen. Just be sure, Katie. Yes, I know he's the only man on this ship so your selection's limited, but don't get involved just because of that. As strange as this sounds, the Universe is a big place. There might be someone else out there." Granted they hadn't seen much of anyone since leaving Earth. And that included these Zombies.

"I don't want someone else I want Rick. Please don't do anything." Her parents were in the perfect position to ruin everything if they wanted to.

"If this is you asking for permission to have sex with Rick, that's not going to happen." Not in her lifetime anyway. "Just be certain and be safe. Now is **not** a good time to end up pregnant." They didn't have a hospital and didn't even know where one was.

"I've got condoms spread out all over my room." Kate brightened up and then saw her mom's face. "I found them in one of the storage areas. …Just in case." She was an adult now. A really young one maybe, but an adult.

"I'm not here to stop you, Katie. However, I'm not here to say go for it either. You need to be certain this is what you want." Johanna reached across and patted one of her hands. "Oh, and be ready to be grilled by your father. Likely after he's already grilled Rick." Johanna sincerely doubted that her husband was going to keep his mouth shut.

"MOM!" Her dad could ruin everything.

"Should have thought of that when you didn't warn us." Johanna stood up now that she was satisfied. She stopped to kiss Kate's head. "For the record, I think Rick's a good man…for an alien." Johanna smiled since she was teasing.

"Thanks, Mom." Kate watched her leave. "I love him," Kate told the closed door.

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"Okay, basically your friendly spiders over there," Alexis paused since she wasn't convinced spiders were even remotely friendly, "are carnivores, just like us. Except they inject a venom into the body that starts to break it down. Think of it as tenderizing meat." Alexis saw Jim enter the bridge.

"Gotta go, Dad! Bye!" Alexis retreated into her computer but kept her ears and eyes open. She already knew what Jim was here for. She had even listened in on the conversation between Kate and her mother. She knew she shouldn't. It was just that it involved her dad and she didn't want him hurt.

"ALEXIS?" He needed what she had found out. Then turned to see Jim coming up to him. He looked different somehow.

Jim got right to it. "So you and my daughter," he glared, willing Rick to wilt under his stare.

" _OH, BOY!"_ Rick thought as he finally recognized that look. "It's not what you think."

"You and my daughter haven't entered into a relationship?" Jim crossed his arms across his chest and sent Rick daggers from his eyes.

"Okay, so it **is** what you think." Rick turned his head to gaze at the floor for a moment. Damn it, he was twenty-nine years old, not some stupid teenager about to get his girl pregnant. Besides he'd already done that.

"We've been trying to steal a little time together and done a fair amount of kissing. But that's all." They hadn't had sex yet. Rick didn't count the other things they had been doing as having sex.

"I'm sure you know how this works, son. Unless they do things differently where you're from." Jim softened up a bit. He liked Rick, he really did. Plus Rick was a much better choice than the boys – they certainly weren't men – his daughter had chosen in the past.

"You want to know my intentions toward your daughter." Rick really wasn't guessing. "I'm not sure I have a solid answer for you. At this moment I have no plans to marry her or anyone else. Actually I wasn't actively looking for anyone to get involved with. I just wanted to improve my life and that of my daughter." It had just sort of happened.

"And then we came along, you showed up to investigate, and ended up saving us." Jim knew that part.

Rick nodded. "Kate's a beautiful young woman. Smart, driven, maybe a little headstrong."

"You left out stubborn," Jim added as he unfolded his arms. "My wife called it a phase. I called it a nightmare. We both think she was just testing her boundaries, trying to get a rise out of us. Some of the boys she dragged home and introduced as her new boyfriend…" Jim shook his head. "I think Jo fainted and I wanted to kill someone. I just couldn't decide if it should be him or my daughter. Then she got accepted into Stanford. It's a college on the other side of the country. It was a good school, a good choice. We just worried that she could now select boyfriends and do what she wanted without our knowledge or input." They still weren't sure if she was past that phase or not.

Rick had no trouble keeping up. "And then along came the Zombies."

Jim nodded. "We didn't really know it was Zombies at the time. All we knew was that something was happening and it seemed to be spreading. We talked Katie into getting on a plane and coming home. It turned out to be one of the last planes." They had gotten lucky or they might have lost her.

"Then you ran for your boat and that's where Alexis and I came in." Rick was following easily enough; he saw Jim nod again. "I like Kate a lot and I don't preclude the idea of having more children or getting married. Which will be a first, just so you know. I don't think either of us are ready for that, though. At least not now.

"I want you to know I have no intention of hurting her. If somewhere down the road I decide I want to marry her, I'll be sure and ask you and Johanna first." Rick didn't know if that was Earth custom or not. It was just at the moment he needed to keep Jim calm and feeling better about what he and Kate were doing.

"I'll hold you to that." Jim was happy with what he had heard. "We'll see you at dinner." He turned to go, then stopped. "By the way, what do giant monstrous spiders eat anyway? In the movies it was always US!" He continued toward the elevator to find his wife and compare notes.

Alexis popped back in. "That went well." She thought her dad had done quite well.

"You were listening?" Rick turned on his daughter.

"I hear and see everything on this ship, Dad. Of course I heard everything. I just try and keep my eyes closed when you and Kate…" Alexis clapped a hand over her big mouth. She quickly changed the topic. "Uh…spiders are carnivores. The difference between them and us is that we like our meat cooked while they like their meat alive so they can inject it with venom, reduce it to a liquid, and then suck it dry."

Rick glared at her but let her win. "So we need live meat…for hundreds if not thousands of giant spiders. I hope the others have something 'cause I've got nothing." He shook his head and picked up his tools. He needed to make sure that those new power conduits weren't the cause of their blackout.

+x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] + **X** \+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+

Rick was feeling somewhat better as he stepped out of his shower after attempting to chase down a problem with the power conduits, which unfortunately, he wasn't able to find. He toweled himself dry and walked out into his bedroom still naked, intent on finding something to wear.

"Hi, baby!" Kate purred, using her best bedroom voice. She wasted no time, letting her eyes travel up and down his body until they landed on his cock. "Come here." She used a finger to beckon him closer.

"We're expected at dinner soon," Rick reminded her. He walked up to her anyway. She took his hands and pulled him closer. She urged him nearer still then knelt and pressed her face into his stomach.

"I know, but this won't take long." Kate licked around his belly button then tipped her head down to take his limp cock into her mouth.

+x+ [- **O** -] +x+

"Feeling better?" Kate swirled her tongue around inside her mouth, relishing his taste as they walked out of his room together.

Rick raised his eyebrows. "I was feeling fine after my shower, I'll have you know. But yes, I feel much better. Perhaps tonight I can help you feel better." He put an arm around her waist and nuzzled her neck.

"I'd like that. I'll bring the condoms." Kate felt him stiffen for a moment. "We're going to make love, baby, before those spiders decide to eat me." She still didn't trust them.

"They're not going to eat you," Rick assured her. "I think they need this deal as much as we do." He wasn't a hundred percent certain but he was betting on it.

"That isn't going to stop us from making love tonight." Kate raised up to kiss him quickly before walking into the kitchen area where they found her parents.

Johanna was ready and waiting for them. "Jim found steaks and you have an indoor grill. I made the rest."

Talk was light while they ate. It was no secret that Rick and Kate were together. Jim and Johanna didn't say anything when their daughter sat next to him, close enough that she was practically sitting in his lap.

"So what's big, heavy, and filled with meat that we can collect and bring here?" That was the first problem. Getting what they decided on was another.

"Jim and I have been discussing that. The best we could come up with is going back to Earth and stopping at a cattle ranch. Cows are what that steak came from."

Alexis popped up. "Cattle ranches. Scanning… Cattle ranches: Colorado and Wyoming mostly, it looks like." She picked two. "Correction, Ladder Ranch in New Mexico, one hundred fifty-six thousand acres filled with bison. Anna Creek Station in South Australia, six million acres; it has one hundred sixty thousand head of cattle."

"Bison?" Rick had never heard of them before. Alexis chose to replace herself with a single life-size bison. "Okay, that looks nice. What about cattle?" He may have just eaten a steak and liked it, but that didn't mean he had ever seen one. Alexis changed the image to one of a cow. "Both look good. How do we decide?"

"Six million acres is a lot of space. It may take a lot of time and energy just finding them, let alone rounding them up," Jim commented. He doubted any of them had ever done any cattle rustling.

"One hundred fifty-six thousand acres is still a lot of space but considerably smaller than six million," Johanna added.

"Okay." Rick was sold. "Now how do get them and where do we put them so we can get them from your galaxy to this one?" His ship might be big, but it wasn't anywhere near that big.

Alexis had already thought about it. "I've got one idea, Dad, but you're not going to like it. We could use Zurn Industries Company. They have some really big cargo ships. There's just one catch." She made a _please don't shoot me_ face _._

"Let me guess, they're deep inside the Zombie Zone." Rick let his head rest on the table where they were still seated.

Alexis had a plan, though. "We jump in, you jet across in your suit; we jump back out while you clear the ship of Zombies. Jump the ship to Earth, land and fill it with bison, then back up to orbit and jump here. Repeat until we have what they ask us for. …Simple." She knew it was likely to be anything but. "Got another idea?"

"No, but after this we're jumping to Bee so I can get more ammunition. I'll be running really low by then. Plus we will need to load up Kate's suit and put some in storage for later." Rick didn't see an alternative.

"You cleared a Xindi carrier, Dad. You can handle a couple of cargo ships."

"Time to get some sleep. We'll find out what they want of us tomorrow." Rick stood up to head to his room.

The second they cleared the room and the door closed, Kate said, "I'll get the condoms." She took off running for her room. Since she was going to die tomorrow, they damn well were going to make love tonight.


	16. Chapter 16

**Hunter and Hunted**

 **Chapter Sixteen**

Kate woke up and stretched. This told her two things. One was that there was a large warm body next to her and second was that some of her muscles were sore. However, it was a good kind of sore as her mind took her back to what they had done last night.

She already knew how big Rick's cock was since she had given him more than one blow job already. Although having him inside her was quite another experience. She had thought she'd enjoyed what little sex that she'd had until now. But last night? Last night had exceeded some of her hopes and dreams.

After stretching and feeling a few bones pop, she settled in and got closer to him, slipping her arm over him. Now she was spooning him which wasn't easy to do given how much bigger he was in relationship to her. Though it did allow her hand to wander a little lower until she had his flaccid cock in her hand. With just a little work it was starting to get harder. She even heard Rick moan. She looked up but she couldn't see his face. She had seen his face last night, though, just as he'd climaxed inside her. It was a face she wanted to see a lot of. Then she felt him stiffen. "Are you starting something?" Rick's sleepy-sounding voice questioned.

She smiled brightly. "And if I am?" She may be sore but another round wasn't out of the question.

"We should be in the shower getting ready to see the Queen. The sooner we get them what they want, the sooner **we** get what we want." Rick turned over so he could face her. What he saw told him he wanted to wake up just like this for the rest of his life. Her hair was a tousled mess but she was still beautiful. He gathered her to him and pulled her in tight. It got a huff of air out of Kate but she was smiling widely. She placed a hand up against his cheek.

"Shower; we're a mess and so are the sheets," Rick pointed out. Kate had squirted once last night before he could get his mouth in position to catch it all.

"You're certain that's not pee?" She hadn't freaked out this time. Still she wasn't convinced even if she had tasted it.

"You tasted delicious. Now up!" Rick slapped her butt and began to get out of bed.

"You're sure you don't want to spank me? I was naughty last night." Kate tried to look sweet yet wicked, that she needed to be spanked; she put a finger in her mouth.

"You were amazingly naughty. Maybe if you're bad again tonight I'll tie you to the bed and have my way with you," Rick teased.

Kate shot up to a sitting position. "You promise?" Then her entire body sort of sagged. "What if Gina eats me?" She still wasn't sure that she wasn't going to be someone's lunch.

"They're not going to eat you. Now get your butt into the shower. If you're nice I might let you give me another blow job. …Or maybe press you up against the wall as I take you." Rick decided to be more assertive now that they were lovers.

"Deal!" Kate jumped out of the bed and started walking for the bathroom while putting a little extra swing in her hips. "You coming, Castle?" she purred as she walked away from him.

"Most definitely." Rick followed her into the bathroom, thinking that he was certainly going to be _coming_ again this morning.

+x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] + **X** \+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+

This time Kate walked next to him though she had a stranglehold on his right arm as they walked. When the door opened, or maybe seemed to melt away might be more accurate description, they both saw a large spider waiting for them. It didn't look right somehow to Kate. It was different. "Not Gina," Kate barely whispered.

"Rachel! You're looking good. What happened to Gina?" Rick really was expecting to see her instead of Rachel.

"You're a terrible liar, Richard Castle. Follow me." Rachel began moving away. "I was glad to hear that you have a mate. I'm sure you will provide her with many children before she eats you." She did kind of like Rick, however.

"Let's hope so." Rick grinned at Kate who had noticed just what they were talking about. All she saw was spider webs and spiders, followed by still more spiders. She squeezed his arm a little tighter and whimpered a little.

"Wait here," Rachel said. Rick knew the rules and wasn't going anywhere.

"Relax, they're not going to eat you." Rick's arm was starting to lose its feeling. "You're too skinny."

"I'm not skinny! I'm athletic. I thought I proved that last night...and this morning." Kate had allowed him to bend her into various positions while he made love to her.

For Rick, though, the result was that she loosened her hold on his arm and the blood began flowing again.

"Follow me. The Queen is ready. Be careful, Richard Castle." No outsider had ever seen what these two were about to see.

Rick's eyes widened in alarm. "Remember what we did last time. Or we're both dead." He'd heard a warning in Rachel's words.

They walked inside and the Queen was surrounded by other spiders. Most were a good deal smaller than any he had seen before. There were also a number of white objects that were being attended to next to the Queen.

"Your Majesty." Rick bowed deeply and showed everyone his empty hands.

"Your Majesty." Kate started to curtsy but changed to a deep bow, showing her empty hands.

A strange sound had them both straightening up to look. As they watched, a white object slowly came out of the Queen. With it came spider webs. The Queen seemed to be grunting as she was making some kind of sound.

"Gross!" Kate whispered softly since the entire episode looked disgusting.

Then a large spider came scurrying into the room. "Richard Castle." It stopped next to Rick.

"Gina!" He was glad to see her. "What's going on?" he inquired quietly, hoping he wasn't breaking some taboo.

"The Queen is laying her eggs. The workers are tending to them and will be carrying them off as soon as our expansion is complete. You are the first outsiders to ever witness this." To her it was a great honor.

"We are honored! Please thank her after she recovers." Rick was no fool; he poked Kate in her side.

"We are honored," Kate added though actually she was repulsed by it all.

"Have you reached a decision concerning our request?" Rick knew Kate didn't like it here so it was best to get this over with.

"The Queen and her advisors have. In return for your three shield emitters with anti-ion generators to power them, interconnecting them to your existing power, installing the entire system as well as making your mate a combat suit, we require four thousand bodies with a minimum weight of three hundred pounds each." Rick smiled; Gina had been proven right. "Can you provide what we require?"

"We've talked about it last night. We've developed a plan to provide you with what you want. If I may?" Rick reached inside his oversized shirt pocket and waited for approval.

Rick saw Gina wave some of her legs and he slowly pulled out his tablet. "We offer you four thousand of these in payment." He showed her a picture of a bison. "Each one weighs an average of one thousand four hundred pounds. Do you understand this number?" He had no idea what system they used.

Gina snatched the tablet from Rick's hands, scurried over to a small group of spiders, and presented the tablet to them. Each of them looked at it and a series of clacking sounds that was not translated soon followed.

Gina scurried back over to Rick and gave him back his tablet. "It is agreed." Then Gina dropped a bomb on them. "However, there is a condition. The Queen has asked that I accompany you on your quest for this food.

"As disgusting as this request sounds, I have agreed. You will make room for me in your ship and allow me to hunt for my food once we arrive." Gina shivered again, only not as much as she had when the Queen had told her. She actually hadn't asked it of her. It either was go or be eaten. The fact that she liked Rick was pretty close to the only reason she had agreed.

He tilted his head, thinking. "There are two others just like us on my ship. Does this present a problem? Also you will be exposed to Alexis in her present condition." His ship was not meant for spiders. The transit pods were too small for her. Though she might be able to use the ladders to get around.

"Are they as skinny as your mate?" Gina queried.

"Pretty much, yes," Rick answered quickly.

Gina clattered a bit then said, "I will do my best not to be disgusted by the sight of them. It will be good to see your child again. I have many questions for her."

Kate growled but shut up when Rick poked her to keep silent.

Gina signaled and two large spiders came up to Kate. "These two need time with your mate. They need to get her size so that her suit will fit correctly," Gina advised them.

"Go with them, Kate," Rick said.

"What!" Kate squeaked.

"You wanted a combat suit. These people make the best. Even better than mine. You'll be perfectly safe." Rick knew they didn't have time to argue about it. "This is the price, Kate. Do you want one or not?"

Kate groaned, looking at the two massive spiders standing next to her. "Lead the way." Kate shuffled along as she followed them.

"I will get to learn why you chose someone so skinny to be your mate." Gina had no idea how someone so skinny was going to give Richard Castle so many children before she ate him. She would be sad to see him go, but that was life. He was a male and that was his destiny.

+x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] + **X** \+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+

Gina had no trouble squeezing her way through the tube that connected their two places and stepped into his ship. "This place is ugly." She knew it would be, but the Queen had tasked her with this undertaking, so she was going to obey her. The alternative was death.

Then Jim and Johanna showed up. Johanna clapped a hand over her mouth to keep from screaming. It was big, it looked like a spider, and it was damn ugly. Jim just stopped and let his mouth fall open.

Rick made introductions. "These are my mate's parents. Jim, the male, and Johanna, the female. This is Gina. She's coming with us to gather the food they've asked for as barter."

"That…thing is coming with us?" Johanna said through her hand.

"Just the one child and you did not eat your mate?" Gina didn't understand. This was disgusting. Her Queen had ordered this of her because she knew Richard Castle. But this? This was terrible.

He quickly covered for Johanna. "She's hoping for another one and her mate has his uses still. Let me show you to your room so you can get comfortable. Then I'll give you a tour of the ship before we make our first jump," Rick offered as a way to get her out of there.

"Yes, please. You may jump immediately. We need to get started. Take me to my room." Gina wanted to get this all over with as fast as possible.

They quickly found that the transit pod was too small for her so she had to take the ladders where she was able to travel. Her multiple legs actually helped her there.

Rick showed her the unoccupied fourth bedroom. "This is your room. The other rooms are being used. You can modify it as you wish."

The room was as ugly as the rest of the ship. " **I will!** "She had a lot of work to do if she was going to stay here.

"Alexis has access to everything but she has no emitters in this room since it was empty. If you want to talk to her or ask her for anything you'll need to exit your room," Rick explained.

"I understand. You may jump so we can get started." Gina went inside and looked around. Her work was cut out for her. The room assigned to her was disgusting.

Meanwhile, Jim and Johanna descended on Katie. "THAT was a spider you were talking about?" Johanna still didn't believe it even after having seen it. "And what did Rick mean by me not eating my husband?"

"That was Gina, one of Rick's friends. In their species, the male gets the female pregnant and she lays eggs. After all the children are…born, she eats her husband to recover her strength." It was disgusting but that was what she'd been told.

Jim's eyebrows almost met his hairline. "I'm no one's meal." He absolutely ruled that out.

"Why is she coming with us?" Johanna could do without having that creature walking around everywhere.

"Her Queen ordered her to come. It was part of the deal. Be thankful that you didn't ask for a combat suit." Kate just knew she was going to have nightmares for weeks. "They needed to measure me so I had two spiders touching me all over." She shuddered. "It was _SO G_ _ROSS_ _."_ It was the worst thing she'd ever gone through. "I'm going to go take a shower." Kate felt dirty and needed the illusion of being clean again.

Rick reached the Bridge just after Kate had left. "Are we ready to jump, Alexis?"

"Why's she on our ship, Dad?" Alexis groaned; she had seen everything, but didn't know the reason why.

"Her Queen ordered her to come. Trust me, as bad as you think it is, she thinks this place is ugly beyond words. I don't want to think what she's going to do to that room to make it more comfortable for her." He also didn't want to think about what it was going to take to clean it up after she was gone.

"Jump us to Earth and let's get started. Let's see what we're up against." He had no idea what it was going to take to move bison.

+x+ [- **O** -] +x+

"Jump complete. We are descending toward Ladder Ranch in New Mexico," Alexis informed her dad and then was silent for a time. "It looks like Ladder Ranch is a lot of brush. Very few trees. Scanning now… It would appear that the bison are scattered all over. In addition I'm finding other large wildlife. I believe the locals call them _e_ _lk._ Four hundred ninety-six to five hundred thirty-one pounds each." They were far smaller than the bison, though they were within the requirements of their deal.

"I'm also finding a large building in the area. There's also a number of buildings near by. These buildings are much older and in poor condition. I suggest we land next to the large building." Alexis was hoping that searching it would give them a lead.

Rick nodded. "Proceed. Once we're down inform Gina that we've arrived. She said something about being allowed to hunt for her own food."

"They capture their food alive and let it turn into a liquid. We cook our food. I wonder what a bison tastes like." It was one of the things Alexis missed most. The taste of food and going all over the Universe showed just how many different types of food there was.

+x+ [- **O** -] +x+

Gina had gotten busy straight away. This room needed a lot of work. She was concentrating on redecorating when there was a voice announcing that they had arrived.

"WAIT!" Gina had many questions.

"Yes?" Alexis answered.

Gina groaned in her own way after remembering that Alexis could not be seen in her room. She scurried out the door. "Alexis?" Would she be able to see her there?

Alexis popped up in front of her. "Can I help you?" Alexis did her best to remember that she was just a program and her body couldn't be touched.

"You look different than I remember." Gina did her best to look her over from all sides.

"It has been a number of years. I was twelve when a Zombie caught me and infected me," Alexis responded.

Twelve years. Had it really been that long? "I have many questions if you're willing and have the time." Gina really wanted to learn and understand.

"I don't sleep so you can ask any question you like when you're ready. We've landed near a large building at a location where we plan to get your food. Our objective is to look around and determine how best to obtain them. Then jump so we can acquire a cargo ship to put them in. Followed by jumping it and us to your home. Then repeat as many times as necessary to fulfill your request.

"Dad's already heading for his combat suit. This planet's infected with Zombies."

"Zombies do not concern me. Can you lead the way out?" She was unfamiliar with this ship.

"Sure, follow me. At least until we reach the ladder. I don't have any emitters in that area." Alexis could only help her just so much.

"I understand. That's one of my many questions." Alexis wasn't real any longer. Gina wanted to learn all she could about her.

Gina found everyone else, including Richard Castle and his mate, standing at the edge of a platform. It looked to her like the wall had simply folded down to allow exit.

"Ready to have a look around, Gina?" Rick asked after spotting her easily.

"The building is ugly. I will have to get used to that." Gina began looking everywhere. The real problem was that without the webbing she couldn't feel anything. It was unsettling and was starting to get on her nerves.

"Stay here, Kate. I don't want any Zombies that might be around getting to you." He was sure Kate wanted to come. "You won't provide me with any children if a Zombie gets you," Rick said with a straight face and an amused twinkle in his eye.

"Just so long as I eventually get to eat you," Kate replied, equally straight-faced. "Like later tonight maybe," she murmured softly so only Rick could hear. What she couldn't do at the moment was kiss him since he had his helmet on.

Gina was feeling better about this little exchange. Maybe these two did understand their place in the Universe after all.

"Zombies do not concern me. Let's begin. I need to find food." Gina was starving. It was another reason she had agreed to come. She would get to eat all she wanted. No more rationing for her for as long as this enterprise took.


	17. Chapter 17

**Hunter and Hunted**

 **Chapter Seventeen**

Gina exited the ship and felt the oppressive heat hit her first. This was followed by all the hairs on her legs and body starting to move. The unusual feeling had her spinning frenziedly to try and find the danger. Except she didn't see anything. "Where is the enemy?" Gina finally demanded since she couldn't find anything.

"Enemy? My vision doesn't identify any enemy. There **is** a storm headed this way and there's a lot of wind coming with it," Rick responded and headed for the first door he could see.

"WIND?" What the hell was a _wind_ thing? "This is not an enemy?" This trip was turning out to be worse than she had imagined. Her hairs were telling her that the enemy was all around her except there was no one. Added to that was the oppressive heat.

"Something hit me!" Gina went back to spinning to find the enemy.

"The rain's beginning to arrive. We need to get inside this house. That should help." Rick didn't see any trouble yet. Then he saw Gina scuttle past him at high speed and watched her burst through the door to get inside.

"Okay, spiders hate rain. Good to know." Rick started jogging to join her. The second he got past the door he saw Gina in combat with Zombies. For a moment he was taken aback at how she fought. Then he used his targeting system and began putting rounds in the other Zombie's heads.

Gina finished snapping a head off a Zombie and looked around. "I think I see why your mate wants a suit." It was too bad it was too difficult for them to make one for themselves.

"It has its uses. …You take that way. I'll go this way," Rick pointed and Gina quickly scurried off.

Rick didn't know what Gina had found but he'd found yet more Zombies which he killed with deadly efficiency and moved on.

+x+ [- **O** -] +x+

Gina chose to stay inside since it was more comfortable if not exceedingly ugly. Rick did a quick tour around the house then came back inside and started searching for anything that would help them locate these bison.

He came back into the room Gina was still in. "I found something that might give us a lead. We need to go back to the ship and move." Rick left the building with Gina hurrying past him to get into the ship and down to her room. She ignored all the others as she rushed by.

"What was all the shooting?" Kate asked as he stepped up onto the deck.

"It sounded like it was a lot of shooting." Johanna was just as curious or concerned.

"The house did have a horde of Zombies inside. Gina and I cleaned it up." Rick held up what he had found. "Alexis, be so kind as to close up and move us."

Alexis popped up and looked at what he had. "On our way." She closed up and started the engines. "Any idea as to how we round up bison?" She didn't have too many.

"We have a couple, not that we've actually done it before." Johanna and her husband had been talking. "We really need to see this cargo ship you want to put them in. You do intend to land it, right?" How were they going to do it if they didn't?

+x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] + **X** \+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+

Everyone was on the bridge which included Gina who was actually standing over some of the equipment. Alexis was presently showing where most of the major herds of bison were located. "May we land? I would like to go hunting." Just seeing all those bison was making Gina's innards rumble. Partly in need and partly in pain.

Alexis chose a location, slowly set the ship down, and opened up all three sides. Doing that would allow her to get fresh air throughout out the entire ship.

Gina beat everyone out of the ship. What she wanted to do was race across the ground and close the distance between her and her prey. It was just that her eyesight was bad and she used the hairs on her body to find everything. This planet's wind was messing with her. However, at least it wasn't raining here. Feeling rain hitting her body was not a sensation she ever wanted to feel again.

It forced her to go slow until she adjusted and spotted a bison that was mostly alone. Gina raced in, injected her venom, and backed off just a bit to let her venom do its job.

When she detected that it had fallen on its side, she raced in and started cocooning it in her webbing. Once it was secure enough she lifted it up and carried it back to the ship. She was finding that it did have considerable weight. She was hoping that this weight translated into a fantastic meal.

Gina didn't thank anyone and didn't stop for anyone. She raced to the ladder, stuffed the cocoon and herself up the ladder to her room, and squeezed both of them through the door, disappearing.

"That was interesting." Johanna had never seen the like of it before. She had to admit that despite her size, Gina was fast. Then she looked out at the rest of the herd. "None of them even reacted to having one of their own killed."

Alexis popped into view. "Scanning… It states that bison have very poor eyesight. They do most everything by smell. Maybe they didn't see her or smell her. This might help us." Alexis was starting to think of a plan on how to get the entire herd into a cargo ship.

Alexis saw them all looking at her. "If we can get the right cargo ship, we'll land, open up the back end, then stampede them inside it. Then up into orbit and jump. Allow the spiders to offload, since I don't remember doing that as part of or deal, then repeat with another cargo ship until we meet our quota."

Johanna liked it. "Beats my idea of us finding horses and getting them to go where we want."

Jim agreed with the plan. "Especially when none of us have ever done much horseback riding."

"Well Gina has what she wants. …Alexis, find us another of those Costcos. Let's try and fill our cargo areas and freezers before jumping." Rick headed for his suit so he could get ready.

+x+ [- **O** -] +x+

Alexis found a large open space that was close to the Costco. It turned out to be between Southern Boulevard SE, Stephen Moody Street SE, La Estrada, and Eubank Boulevard.

Alexis opened up the one side. "Costco is on the other side of the street. There's something called a Home Depot on the far side. It appears to be a home improvement store."

Rick didn't think they needed one of those. He'd already had to explain how the toilets worked and how they cleaned their clothes. This planet was so backward it had him shaking his head over how people lived here. But he had held his tongue so as not to insult any of the Becketts.

"Let's go!" Kate started to look for a way down and across to Costco. Rick got in front of her. "We're helping, Rick, so get used to it. We need this food since we're eating most of it. Provided that the power's still on." She turned to look at Alexis to see if she knew if it was or not.

Alexis tilted her head. "The power's out. I don't know how long it's been this way." She couldn't find anything. Then she straightened up. "All the power's down. I just lost access to what you call an Internet. Scanning... I can find power in other parts of the planet, though it's spotty. There's still power far to the west in a desert of all places."

Alexis tried to find out why. "Ooo, It's a large hydro power plant. I don't know what it's called but it's still working. We can go there."

"If the power has been off for too long even what was frozen will have gone bad," Johanna cautioned.

Rick made a choice. "Close up and move us, Alexis. Find us a working Costco." They watched Alexis close up the ship though they didn't move and just waited.

"Got one!" Alexis was happy. "Landing." She opened up one side after shutting down the engines. Alexis pointed. "It's over there."

What they all saw was a wide road that had a bridge that went over an even wider road. There were cars littered all over the place.

"Sorry, it was the largest empty space I could find. I've set us down as close as I can get us." Alexis hoped it was close enough.

"Let's go before the power goes out." Kate began moving only to have Rick stop her.

"This planet is full of Zombies. I can't protect all of you all the time." There was only one of him.

Kate groaned and glared at him. Then she had an idea. "Alexis, ask Gina if she'll help us. Rick and she can kill the Zombies while the three of us load up the supplies."

"I'll ask." Alexis disappeared. Rick stood there, not sure what to think. He wanted to be mad at Kate and yet her idea had merit. If – and that might be the big IF – Gina was willing to kill Zombies so they could get supplies that didn't benefit her.

Gina came scurrying in quickly and then out of the ship. "Let's get this over with." She did need a little time for her food to liquefy before she could eat it.

Rick then watched Kate run out to try and keep up with Gina. "This is such a bad idea." However, he knew he had no more cards to play. "Let's go." He started pushing his sled along in front of him with Jim and Johanna next to him.

It left Alexis to close up the ship.

They found that getting on West Galleria Drive the easiest way to get across the Interstate and reach Costco.

"There's a mall!" Johanna spotted it and looked around and saw Macy's, JCPenney, and Dick's Sporting Goods as the mall's anchors. "Can we go shopping? We only have what clothes we brought with us." Actually all three Becketts' selection was limited because they'd left so fast.

"No." Rick kept pushing.

"Please? You have an entire ship full of clothes. In case you haven't noticed we've been wearing the same clothes over and over again. Even Katie only has the one swimsuit. Pretty please!" Johanna placed her hands in front of her and held them together, pleading for him to say yes.

"Have you got any idea just how many Zombies are likely to be in that place? The answer is NO. You want clothes, think of something else." Rick wasn't going to help them. Not to go into that place.

Jim offered his wife the only option it looked like they had. "Maybe Costco has some clothing."

"The last place did," Rick recalled.

"Fine!" Johanna relented, not that she was happy. Macy's was going to have stuff that was so much better. "Macy's will have sheets for the beds, pillows, towels. Don't we need detergent to wash our clothes? What about shampoo and bath soap?" Just how much of that did they have?

"Fine!" Rick groaned and Johanna was all set to celebrate. "But I have conditions. It has to be some place smaller, more isolated, and not filled with Zombies."

Johanna thought about it. "Deal. We can talk to Alexis when we get back." Any win was a win.

+x+ [- **O** -] +x+

Jim, Johanna, and Kate were ordered by Rick to stay outside while he and Gina went inside to kill any Zombies that were inside.

A grumbling bunch of Becketts were left outside while Rick and Gina went in. Though the instant they did they could all hear weapons fire.

"I take back my complaint about being left outside," Kate whispered as they continued to hear weapons fire.

It took what felt like forever until Rick came back outside to get his sled and push it inside. "All clear; try to ignore the dead Zombies." He began pushing so he could finish and get out of there.

All the Becketts saw when they entered were the dead Zombies. Most of which either had their heads blown up or completely ripped off by Gina. "GOOD LORD!" Johanna stopped in her tracks and looked from one Zombie to the next.

"We need to get moving, Mom." Kate tried to snap her out of it even if she herself wasn't all that immune. The scene was from one of those late night horror movies that she had watched with her friends. The kind that gave her nightmares after watching it.

"Seriously GROSS!"

+x+ [- **O** -] +x+

Kate almost jumped out of her skin when Gina snuck up on her and asked a question. "What are you doing?" Gina was curious, plus Kate was still freaked out by all the dead Zombies.

"Searching for clothes that'll fit and that I like." What she didn't like was that this place didn't have any swimwear at all, let alone bikinis. How was she supposed to distract Rick if she was completely clothed?

"Why?" Gina didn't get it. She saw the stuff but saw no reason for it.

Kate ticked off a small list of reasons and kept searching. Occasionally an item got thrown into her cart. "We need clothes to help keep us warm when it gets too cold. We need clothes… well, because it's unacceptable to go naked in public for a number of reasons. And clothes are a way of expressing ourselves."

Gina tried to digest what Kate had told her. She thought she was catching on and asked, "So you only allow your mate to see you as you truly are?"

"Correct. Only my mate is allowed to see all of me. I don't want someone else forcing me to have his children." She didn't want to be raped and end up pregnant.

"I understand now. That is very wise. I will let you continue." Gina started to go away, however that left her with another question. "Yet you wear very little most of the time." Kate was almost always naked when on the ship.

"A bikini is a way for me to get my mate interested in giving me children," Kate explained and kept looking away since looking up at Gina was just plain creepy. She was about the ugliest thing Kate had ever seen. Plus her size was totally intimidating.

"I think I understand." Gina approved of anything that would lead to Kate having children. That was her purpose as a female. "I'm going to go help Richard Castle."

Kate immediately relaxed as she saw Gina leave using just one eye, since using two was a bad idea. Kate had finished and found her mother rifling through everything. "Does this place have makeup or tampons?" That was next on her list.

"Don't I wish!" Johanna threw something into her cart and kept looking.

"Where's Dad?" She hadn't seen him after one split up.

"Probably looking at the BBQ grills or in the power tools area," Johanna answered distractedly and continued looking, convinced that her husband was after stuff they DIDN'T need.

"Dad likes to grill and we don't have one. But then we are out in space a lot." At first it had sounded like a good plan, but how do you cook outdoors when you're out in space?

Kate started pushing her cart to look for other stuff.

Jim was NOT looking for grills or power tools, though. He was filling his cart with bottle after bottle of wine. "Happy wife, happy life," he kept telling himself as he pulled down bottle after bottle and soon had his one and only cart totally full of wine. He was happy to let his wife do his clothes shopping for him.

Rick had given them orders: Grab a cart and fill it. Once it was full you were done and were to meet back at the entrance.

Johanna was doing fine for both her and her husband until she realized she was missing some essential items. "Where are the damn bras and panties!" She moved her cart all around looking for them. "Stupid store!" Now she was ready to go find Rick and beg him to take them to a clothing store. Preferably that Macy's that was close by.

Rick had taken his bins off his sled and opened one. He filled it with frozen anything, closed it up, and put it on his sled. He was still at it when Gina showed up.

"Do you require assistance?" There was nothing here in this totally ugly place that she needed or was even interested in. Oh, but the things she did because her Queen commanded it. If only her Queen knew what she was going through.

"Anything frozen. Try that case over there. Open the glass door take out any box and place it in one of my bins. Once the bin is full, close it and stack it on the sled." Rick wanted to hurry before more Zombies showed up.

It turned out Gina was faster at it than Rick was. Though truth be told that was because Rick was at least reading what it said before putting it in a bin while Gina had no idea what it said or even what was in it. It was bad enough that whatever it was, it was frozen. These people didn't actually eat this crap! Did they?

Rick stacked his latest bin on his sled and saw he was down to just two bins and Gina had one of them. "DAD! You need to get moving. There is a plague of Zombies pouring out of that really large building near you. You need to leave. **NOW!** " Alexis had seen just a few at first. But that had turned into a massive wave of them. The only good side to this was that Zombies were slow-moving.

" **WE'RE LEAVING!** "Rick bellowed. " **ALEX** **I** **S HAS SPOTTED HUNDREDS OF ZOMBIES HEADED OUR WAY!** " He put his still empty bin back on his sled, watched Gina place her full one on it, then he began pushing. He was thankful that the sled had anti-grav motors. It weighed next to nothing even when full and came equipped with a force field netting that held everything in place.

" **MOVE IT!** " He saw Johanna still grabbing things. "We're out of time." Rick kept pushing and saw Gina rush outside.

Once outside none of them saw anything. Not a Zombie in sight, dead or alive. "Get out of there, Dad!" They were slow but there were so many of them.

Gina was way out in front long before they reached the bridge over the Interstate. When they finally caught up to her, Johanna looked behind them. "GOOD GOD!" All she saw was a sea of slow-moving people. "Was that inside that mall?" And she had tried to argue about going inside it. She shuddered at the thought.

"Yes, now push." Everyone except Gina had a full cart. His ignored the bumps and ruts in the road. The shopping carts with wheels, though, could not.

Jim was watching for every bump that might dump his load. Since it was all glass he risked losing it all if it tipped over.

"Wine?" Johanna had spotted what it was he was pushing.

"You like wine." Jim recited his mantra yet again. "Happy wife, happy life."

"No wonder I love you," Johanna said quietly. He hadn't been off after stuff they couldn't use. He'd been thinking of her. "For that you might get lucky tonight," she murmured and saw her husband grin.

"EWW! GROSS!" Kate had heard every word, even if she did have plans of her own with Rick tonight.


	18. Chapter 18

**Hunter and Hunted**

 **Chapter Eighteen**

Everyone except Rick, who had raced for the bridge, watched as Alexis lifted off the ground while they watched what had to be hundreds of Zombies – a veritable plague of them – slowly work their way across the bridge in pursuit of them.

"I wonder what got them motivated to come out and attack us?" Johanna questioned as they slowly got higher and higher. Then Alexis or Rick started to close up the ship.

Kate offered a theory. "Rick did say not all of them are stupid. Maybe there was a smart one that recognized that we were here and got the others to follow him…or her."

Johanna's body shook with fear and anger. "Filthy creatures."

They never noticed when Gina left them and went to her room to see if her meal was finally ready. She was looking forward to not just eating all she could but also to find out what a bison tasted like.

"And that's what we were running from when we left our home," Jim added which took all of them back to what got them there.

"We've been lucky." Johanna didn't know how or why, but their lives could have been so very much different now.

"Don't say that, Mom! You'll jinx us." Kate didn't believe in curses or magic, but that didn't mean she was stupid enough to risk it.

"So what's next?" Johanna inquired since she really would like to find a place to get more clothes, amongst other things.

That had Alexis popping in. "We'll be jumping to get our first cargo ship after we stow everything you just brought back. So if you could go to the kitchen, please? Dad will be down soon to collect the sled and move it as far as he can." It didn't fit in any of the transit pods, so they needed to unload it into a pod and then unload that pod followed by unloading the bin.

"I think my back's broken." Jim placed a hand on the small of his back. It wasn't broken but it just might feel like it was after they finished.

+x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] + **X** \+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+

Jim and Johanna were both lying on their bed, dead to the world. Finding what they'd wanted had been work. Rushing it back to the ship had been still more work. However, all of that paled in comparison to what it took to unload it all. Gina had retreated to her room and had been absolutely no help at all.

Kate was with Rick up on the Bridge, listening to him and Alexis talk about just where to jump and what type of cargo ship they were after.

Kate felt a little tired but Rick, because of his suit, wasn't the least bit tired. Even if he had done most of the work. His powered suit had shown her another reason on just why she wanted one.

"Looks like here, Dad." Alexis had it up on the 3D display and it was only then that Kate saw what they were talking about. To her it looked a lot like one of those shipping yards that held lots of trailers up against a warehouse. Except she didn't see a warehouse.

"The image is old, but we should find the size that we want without much trouble." Alexis was confident.

"Good old Zorn Industries. The biggest transporter known in any galaxy." Rick liked it. "Pick a safe spot and jump us. Let's get this party started."

There was one more thing that Kate had noticed. Rick still had his suit on, save for his helmet that was sitting on a table nearby.

"Jump complete," Alexis announced and brought up what she saw on the 3D table. "Looks like there are plenty of cargo ships to choose from. What we want is interspersed amongst the larger ones." Alexis was still looking.

"We might have a problem, Dad." Alexis zoomed out to show another fleet of ships.

"SHIT!" Rick cursed loudly. "A Trill combat squadron. Just what we needed. Scan for activity, are any of them active?" If they were, this location to get a cargo ship just died.

"Scanning… All quiet. All of them read as being powered down. Though I'm not reading any damage on any of them." Alexis knew just what that meant.

Kate was uneasy. "What does that mean?" They looked menacing to her.

"It means they're sitting there dead because they are filled with–" Kate finished his sentence for him.

"Don't say it, ... Zombies!" Kate was now ready to start cursing, herself.

"Take us in, Alexis, nice and slow. Make it look like we're just drifting and will end up hitting one of them. Then power down as much as you can but still see what is going on. Make us a dead hulk that just jumped here and isn't a threat to anyone." If there was anyone, he wanted them to think his ship was now full of Zombies.

"Firing engines… Shutting down all non-essential systems. I'm going to have to stop us before we hit a cargo ship," Alexis cautioned.

"I know, but those ships are cold. It'll take a little bit for them to power up. Time we need to clear out a cargo ship, power it up, and jump. I'm going to go take a shower and get some rest." He sighed tiredly then gave Alexis her orders. "Don't wait for me. Jump us if even one of those Trill ships starts to come to life."

"You don't have to tell me twice." They were a civilian yacht and a sitting duck to even one of those Trill ships.

Kate followed Rick right into his room and even helped him take his suit off. "I need to learn how to get in and out of one if I'm going to use one," she explained.

Once Rick was naked Kate stripped and followed him into the shower. She soon had his hard cock in her mouth and was doing wicked things to it. Then she stood up. "Fuck me, baby." He was hard and she was wet.

"Condom," Rick cautioned.

Kate shook her head. "My period's in a couple of days. I'm willing to risk it. I want you…bare." Rick's eyes dilated with desire; he kissed her deeply as he slipped his hands around to her ass and lifted her up. With just a little work she was lowered down onto him and felt him go deep inside her. "OH, BABY!" Sex had never been this good!

+x+ [- **O** -] +x+

"We're in position, Dad. I've tried to line up our airlocks with each other so the trip should be quick and easy," Alexis told them as they stood just outside of the airlock.

"You shouldn't be doing this, Gina." He was the only one in a suit. He was sure Gina was going to die on this trip.

Gina reasoned with him again. "I will be fine so long as I'm not in space too long. You go first, I will follow. You may need my help if that ship is full of Zombies." Besides her people needed this food. Plus she had found out what a bison tasted like and she was dying to capture another one. She was looking forward to being fat. A happy fat.

"It's your life," Rick shrugged, thinking it was going to be a short one.

"Ready." Alexis was in place.

Rick stepped into the airlock and opened the outer door and allowed the air to shoot him out. He was flying and thinking maybe he should have used a little less air since he saw the cargo ship coming up fast. "Alexis, maybe a little less air for Gina. Verify with her what she wants." Maybe she needed it to be this fast.

Jim, Johanna, and Kate were up on the bridge watching everything that Alexis was showing them.

Rick had just gotten the airlock door open when Gina shot out of the airlock on their ship and zoomed across to the cargo ship.

He'd barely stepped inside the ship when he began firing at Zombies. "We're not alone," he called back, not that Gina was going to hear him.

Rick had cleared the corridor just as Gina arrived and left the inner door to the airlock open.

"Zombies." Gina saw dead ones that had big holes in their heads.

"You go that way toward the cargo bay. I'm headed for the Bridge so I can power up and get us out of here. Do **not** take too many risks." He would have no way of knowing if she needed help.

"I will be fine." Gina scurried down the corridor and was quickly out of sight.

Rick headed for the Bridge and was firing at Zombies the whole way. When he reached the Bridge he found still more and quickly killed them.

"Now let's get out of here." This place was looking more and more dangerous all the time. "Dead, naturally." Rick went to the Engineering station and started powering up. Up to now only the emergency lighting was working. As soon as he had enough power he turned on the lights, then activated the internal communications.

"How you doing, Gina?" Rick called and waited. "You need to press the green button on the panel to answer."

"I am opening the bay door. It is full of Zombies." More than she could safely kill.

"Define full!" Rick started to get scared.

"Completely full. Opening the door now." The door opened and the Zombies shot out into space thanks to all the air escaping. However, this caused the ship to start moving because the air acted like a jet.

"Does it have power already?" Kate saw the ship moving. Then Alexis changed the view of a lot of Zombies being shot out into space. "That doesn't look good."

"Worse." Alexis changed the view again. What they all saw was a military ship beginning to light up.

"DAD! You need to hurry. One of the destroyers is waking up and powering up." Alexis kept watching the entire fleet. "I take that back. Three of the destroyers are powering up. Something's going on." She didn't like what she was seeing.

"I need another couple of minutes to jump. Not enough power yet," Rick responded, watching the power build as he woke up the jump engines. Then he moved to the computer. "Alexis, this ship has no idea where Earth is. I need you to send me the coordinates." He wasn't going to reach Earth if he didn't know where it was.

"Sending now. We can't stay, Dad. All three are starting to scan me." Alexis knew that was preliminary to them firing on her.

"Alexis!" Kate saw all three destroyers starting to actually move.

"They're putting power into their engines and not their jump engine. They've also found us. Stand by to jump." Alexis was ready to leave. "We have to go, Daddy. Meet you on Earth." Alexis saw a missile launch from one of the destroyers just as she jumped.

"Jump complete. We're in Earth orbit," Alexis announced.

"Where's Rick?" Kate asked, sounding frightened for him. She was terrified that she might actually lose him over this.

+x+ [- **O** -] +x+

Rick moved over to the scanner and saw three destroyers starting to move. "OH, SHIT!" Smart Zombies were not what he needed now. "How you doing, Gina?" He needed to know if they needed to abandon ship before Alexis jumped.

"Right here." Gina showed up on the bridge.

"Good!" Rick moved back over to the jump engines and input the coordinates. "Stand ready for a jump."

Gina moved over to a different console. "I believe Alexis has already jumped." She pressed a blinking red light. "I think they have fired missiles." She just didn't know at who.

"Jumping," Rick said; he pressed the button and moved over to the scanner to join Gina.

"Looks like we found Alexis." Rick was happy.

"DAD! Everything okay over there?" The cargo ship was here but how were they?

"Are we Zombie free?" Rick asked Gina.

"I emptied the cargo bay and that was all. There may be more." She had wanted to help Rick get the cargo ship for her people.

"We may have still more Zombies to deal with. We'll land first and then begin a search of this ship. We need to get all of them before we can even begin to think about loading it with bison. Powering up engines now and shutting down jump drive." Power would come back quicker without sending power to the jump engines.

"Get ready, we're landing next to the cargo ship," Alexis warned the Becketts.

+x+ [- **O** -] +x+

The Becketts were outside looking over the cargo ship that was a lot bigger than they thought it would be. It was easily the size of three trailers that semi trucks used to transport goods and material, if not bigger. It was hard to tell without something to compare it with.

They had already circled it once and had found a large door on the back and a small man door on each side up front. "What's taking so long?" Kate's patience was running thin. Neither Rick nor Gina had shown themselves yet.

They were standing on one side waiting when they heard noise and went to the west again. Here they saw the door was down and Gina came busting out, carrying a number of dead Zombies. They saw her go far out into the field, drop them, and scurry back.

They watched her do this two more times before heading for their ship and going inside. Gina had done her job and it was time to feed again.

"RICK!" Kate ran to him the second she saw him. She had her arms around him the second she reached him. Only problem was he was still in his combat suit. "How did it go? Why did those ships start moving?" She was full of questions.

Rick didn't really answer any of her questions and just walked over to Jim and Johanna. "Ready to round up some bison? Though maybe we should have lunch first. We can talk while we eat."

+x+ [- **O** -] +x+

Lunch was over and now they were just sitting around drinking. "What happened?" Johanna really wanted to understand.

"I have theory but you're not going to like it," Rick told them. Well **them** didn't count Gina since she wasn't with them. She'd said something about being in the kitchen around so much dead food was too much to take.

"The cargo ship was loaded with Zombies. Not just Zombies that were crew but Zombies in the cargo bay. A bay filled with Zombies."

"Okay, but I'm not following." Johanna didn't get it.

"Me, neither," Jim chimed in, and not just to support his wife.

"Think about it. A cargo ship full of Zombies. Maybe several cargo ships filled with Zombies. Add to that the fact that three of the destroyers woke up and began moving while we were attacking the Zombies in our cargo ship," Rick said, trying to think this through while explaining it at the same time.

"And fired on us just before we jumped." Alexis added what she'd noticed.

"Remember I told you that not all Zombies are stupid," Rick said, giving them something to think about.

"You're not suggesting…?" Johanna was following, but what he was talking about was just too much. They were dead Zombies!

"An organized attack," Kate whispered; she was following Rick's thinking. "Zombies that attack to spread their infection?" It was too much and she started shaking her head in denial.

"You three are serious?" Jim was keeping up but what they were talking about was nuts!

Rick held up one finger. "Zombies as cargo." He held up a second finger. "Zombies that are smart enough to operate the ship they used to be alive in." Then he held up a third finger. "Smart enough to hatch a plan to spread their infection. They only need to use their jump drives and arrive in the same location _e_ _n mass_ _e_ _._ They crash the cargo ships while the military ships fight to allow them in before they're blown to pieces by the defenders." Rick thought the facts fit the situation.

"Military Zombies?" Jim was having trouble believing it. "Smart enough to actually coordinate an attack." He disagreed. He wasn't military but he thought he knew enough.

"It's the best I can come up with. Why else would they fill ships and attack when someone shows up?" Rick challenged them. "Now for the big question."

"When," Kate said and saw Rick start to smile.

"Okay, two big questions. Not just when but where? So long as you have the coordinates you can jump anywhere you want. Where would Zombies attack?" Rick mused.

Jim offered some insight from Earth's past conflicts. "In our history you wanted to get behind enemy lines as fast as possible. During some of our battles, there were generals who took a chance and went around and attacked where they were least expected. It didn't always work but it usually did."

"If you can jump anywhere you want, is there anywhere that's actually behind enemy lines?" Kate tried to think this through.

"That only leaves what the Zombie who thought this up remembers or has learned about. If it can learn." Rick wasn't sure that was possible.

"Zombie military groups." Johanna closed her eyes momentarily and shuddered. Wasn't it bad enough? Did they have to spread by attacks? "We need to warn someone. There has to be a military group out there somewhere that can jump in and blow them to hell." Why were they just sitting here? They had information that others didn't and needed to know as soon as possible.

Alexis added her voice. "We only know one person that has access to any military."

"Then let's go tell him." Johanna was ready.

"We will, right after we get our shield emitters." Rick already had plans to go there since they were going to need more ammunition for his suit and Kate's.

"So why are we waiting?" Johanna thought the more dead Zombies there were, the better.

Rick raised a finger. "We have a deal with the Queen." He raised another finger. "Gina's on this ship, and I for one don't want to piss her off by going off somewhere else instead of fulfilling our deal. Or have you not noticed how she deals with Zombies?" He was impressed with her abilities.

"She rips their heads off." Jim cringed, thinking that maybe his head might be next if they did what his wife was asking.

"Fine!" Johanna huffed angrily. "But we warn someone immediately after." She stabbed her finger at Rick and Alexis and glared at both of them.

Rick looked at Kate and raised his eyebrows. "You survived nineteen years of this?"

Kate immediately began laughing her ass off and continued to laugh even after her mother turned her deadly glare from Rick and Alexis onto her. In fact she only laughed harder.


	19. Chapter 19

**Hunter and Hunted**

 **Chapter Nineteen**

"Well, that went easier than I thought it would." Rick was amazed as he watched the rear door of the cargo ship close, trapping the bison inside. "Do we have any idea just how many we got on this trip?" He hadn't bothered to count.

"We will count as they are offloaded. Shall we leave?" Gina was looking forward to being home again. Even if it was for a short time.

"Missing your children already?" Rick thought he was teasing, but wasn't sure. Gina's personality was some times difficult to read.

"It will be good to see them again," Gina quickly agreed and started to scurry toward their ship so they could leave.

"I think that's our cue," Rick commented as he began moving to the door on the side of the cargo ship. Alexis was going to fly their ship while he flew the cargo ship. He wasn't surprised when he found Kate right behind him.

"I never realized just how advanced my ship is until I saw this one." Rick started working the controls.

"It **is** rather different looking." It looked simple and unappealing to her.

"It's a working ship not a luxury yacht like the other one." Rick still didn't like it.

He saw Alexis waiting for him in orbit. Everything about this ship was slower. "Alexis, I need you to send me the coordinates for the Spiders. This ship has no idea where it is, either." Without those coordinates he was never going to reach them.

"Sending… Meet you there." Alexis powered up the jump drive and disappeared a few moments later.

"Powering jump drive. Get ready to see spiders," Rick teased. He knew what Kate thought of them.

"Swell." Kate wanted her suit but wasn't looking forward to being surrounded by spiders again.

A moment later Rick saw his ship sitting there followed by slowly moving toward the massive spider web. "Here we go." He began moving but what he needed was where to go. That was when Alexis sent him new coordinates.

They both watched as they gradually backed into a large open-to-space area until they couldn't go any farther and still get the rear door to come down.

"Gina says you have to wait until they enclose you," Alexis informed them. "She says it'll take about an hour until you have an atmosphere so you and the bison can exit."

"Guess we wait." There wasn't anything else to do.

+x+ [- **O** -] +x+

Rick, Kate, and Gina were headed with an escort for the Queen's reception chamber. "Wait here." Gina went inside and was back a few moments later.

"You may enter. The Queen has only recently eaten her husband so she is still a bit weak. You know the rules, Richard Castle." Gina wasn't worried but chose to warn him anyway.

Rick didn't see anything different about her, however he bowed deeply, showed her his empty hands, and watched Kate do the same. "Your Majesty, we have delivered the first of your request. If you're happy with them we will return with another load and repeat until we have provided all you have requested."

"Gina has presented us with a sample of what you are providing. We approve. You may continue to fulfill our request." She had never tasted anything like it. "We look forward to the next delivery." The Queen was happy.

Rick knew when he was being dismissed. He and Kate did the usual routine of bowing and displaying their empty hands. They backed up slowly then turned around and headed for the airlock where their ship was.

Meanwhile the Queen, her advisors, and Gina went to where the bison were being taken. It was an enormous room and was mostly empty as they watched a cocooned bison being hung from the ceiling.

The Queen questioned Gina once again. "You believe that we can learn to use this cargo ship?"

"Richard Castle will willingly teach one or more of us. We already understand the power systems. If necessary we can spin a new ship and transfer all of the equipment." Gina was sure of it.

"This planet where they are obtaining these…bison has considerably more than what we have requested even if this planet is infected with Zombies." The Queen wanted to be sure.

"Several times what we have asked for, Your Majesty. In addition there were other animals. Something called an _e_ _lk_ was also in the same area. It was half the weight of a bison, though more than large enough. It is a sizable planet and should be full of other life forms that could benefit us." Gina was certain of it. Her conversations with Alexis had been very beneficial. Her torture of having to be on that ship and that planet was going to bear fruit for her people.

"You will lead our first trip after you and Richard Castle have completed our request. You will do this as a new advisor." Gina was stunned; the Queen was promoting her.

"Thank you, Your Majesty. It will work and we will have all the food we need for generations to come. This cargo ship has coordinates for other planets as well." When or if Earth stopped providing what they needed they had other places they could go thanks to this.

"Richard Castle has done much for us. It is a pity he is male." His mate was going to eat him after she gave him children.

"I will miss him, My Queen. Still he is male and it is his destiny." She even missed Josh a little.

"Finish unloading the cargo ship. We need to return it to Richard Castle for now," the Queen ordered her advisors; they needed to make sure this happened or she would eat them. "Inform me when the first bison is ready for consumption." She was looking forward to eating all of it instead of just tasting one.

+x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] + **X** \+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+

Everyone found themselves back at the ranch looking for bison.

"Happy now?" Johanna rode up next to her husband. They'd decided that using either ship to find them would possibly cause them to scatter as they ran away to get away from the ship that was buzzing them.

It had taken just a little work to convince the horses to come to them. Especially after Kate had gone back into the ship to retrieve frozen carrots that thawed by the time the horses got close. They then found everything they needed in the barn. "Just don't kick him too hard, baby. He'll bolt on you and send you flying."

Kate rode with Rick while her parents went together. And Gina? Well, Gina went where she wanted after asking one simple question: "Is it going to rain?" If it was going to rain she was going to spend this entire trip in her room. AFTER she captured yet another bison and injected it.

"Over there," Rick pointed.

"I don't see anything." Kate stood up in her stirrups and looked.

"I'm an alien with superior eyesight," he reminded her and was rewarded with Kate sticking her tongue out at him.

+x+ [- **O** -] +x+

"That wasn't so bad." It wasn't as easy as the first time but they'd even managed to capture a few elk in addition to the bison.

"Speak for yourself," Jim grumbled as he massaged his ass since he was sure he wasn't going to be able to sit down for a week. Riding on horseback to reach the vast ranch that had hundreds of thousands of acres had been his wife's idea, so he didn't complain too much.

"Let's go deliver our second load." Rick was ready to jump since they were already in orbit.

At roughly 400 head per trip with a requirement of 4,000, they'd worked out that they were going to need to do this trip at least 10 times if not 11, depending on how full the bay was and what the count was according to Gina and the Queen. Rick didn't think they would be cheated, still they needed those shield emitters and Kate's suit. But he was betting, based on how Gina was acting, that they needed these bison just as badly.

It was quick and it was painless and they were back in Earth orbit a day later. This time it had just been Gina, Rachel, and some others. They didn't have an audience with the Queen this trip. Rick didn't care; not seeing her was fine with him. Even better was that the count wasn't much different so he saw no reason to think that they were being cheated.

+x+ [- **O** -] +x+

They as a group, save for Gina who saw no reason for it, decided to stop and rest for a day. They were halfway into their delivery and only needed five more trips to satisfy their barter terms.

Kate was dressed in her bikini again and actually felt better while wearing it. She and the others had been wearing clothes while rounding up the bison.

At the moment she was searching the ship for Rick. They hadn't had sex in three days because of all the work they'd been doing; three days was turning out to be a day or two too long for her. They were lovers now and she wanted to make love.

Kate finally stopped at the kitchen where she found her parents sitting around snacking. "Have you seen Rick?" They both shook their heads. Then Alexis popped up. "Dad's in the pool. He said he wanted to relax and cool down." Then she disappeared again.

Kate spun in place and put a big smile on her face. Rick was in the pool, half-naked, and her parents were on a different floor in the kitchen eating and lounging.

Sure enough she found him sitting in the pool, leaning back with his eyes closed. She smiled even wider; she'd decided to surprise him. So she carefully walked over to the pool and ever so slowly lowered herself into the water so as to make as little wave as possible. Next she slid over and got as close as she could without actually not touching him. Then she placed a finger on his chest, traced it down his body, across his belly button, and kept on going. "Kate…" She wasn't sure if it was a greeting or a warning. Still she was horny and decided to keep going.

"I'm trying to relax and get cool," Rick informed her, just sitting there with his eyes closed.

Kate still wasn't sure if it was information or a warning so she kept going until her finger had finally reached its destination. But the second her finger reached it, his hand snatched hers and lifted it up to his lips where he kissed it then held it.

"Relax, get cool," he instructed her and did nothing else.

"What if I want to warm you up?" Kate pulled her hand away and started tracing her finger across his chest.

"Cool sounds better." Rick knew she was aware that he needed to avoid getting too hot.

"Hot sounds better." Kate reached into his shorts and took hold of him, only to find his hand wrapped around hers and bringing it back out of his shorts.

"Baby!" She wanted to make love and Rick was not responding to her advances. It was beginning to piss her off.

This time Rick opened both eyes and looked at her. "Cool is better, or have you forgotten what happens if I get too hot. I NEED this, Kate, so relax and cool off." He closed his eyes again and didn't move.

She groaned. "Fine." She moved away and decided to playfully splash him. All it gained her was seeing him opening one eye and glaring at her before closing it.

She sat there and glared right back at him. Then she decided that maybe he was sneaking peeks so she took her top off and started massaging her own breasts while pinching her nipples.

He never moved, though, so she reached a hand down into her bottoms and started stroking her outer lips. Since his eyes never opened she decided to moan in a sexy way that suggested she was enjoying herself without him.

He still didn't move or open his eyes. Highly irritated, Kate sat back and visually shot daggers at him. What was wrong with him? It hadn't been that hot out. At least she hadn't thought it was. Yes, it was New Mexico and it had been warm, but not HOT.

Then suddenly she saw Gina scurry onto the deck, carrying a bison that was all wrapped up in a web cocoon. The sight of the arachnid had her scrambling to find her top and start putting it back on.

"What are you two doing?" They were both in a large body of water. ON PURPOSE!

Rick kept his eyes closed. "We're relaxing and staying cool," he answered.

Gina decided she was never going to understand these people and took her bison to her room to hang it from the ceiling. This job might be one big pain, but she was eating better than she had in years and she didn't need anyone's permission. No more rationing.

Kate had her top back on and was sitting there, staring at Rick. Then realization hit. "You knew Gina was out there hunting." And coming back to find them making love in the pool.

He started to smile rather widely. "Yep!" Rick was happy; he had played his lady love and it felt pretty good.

She splashed him a couple of times. "I'm going to give you a spanking for that tonight." Kate got out of the pool and began to walk away while toweling herself dry.

She was almost out of sight. "I look forward to spanking your ass for being a bad girl," Rick countered and sat there with his eyes closed.

Kate stopped in her tracks, huffed out a large breath, and stomped her foot. He'd beaten her at her own game. Still she was smiling on the way to her room to get out of her now one and only wet bikini. A little spanking followed by mind-blowing sex sounded like tonight was going to be a great night.

+x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] + **X** \+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+

It was their final trip and Rick and Kate were standing in front of the Queen one last time. They were all waiting for the conclusive count when Gina and one of the Queen's advisors came scurrying into the room. Gina went to Rick and Kate while the advisor went to the Queen. "The count was 4,043," Gina told them softly as she stood next to them and waited for the Queen.

"You have fulfilled your part of our contract. We will now fulfill ours." The Queen made some clacking sounds that weren't translated. In came a different spider who was carrying something and went straight to Kate.

"Here is the suit that you requested. It contains the targeting system and weapons systems that you wanted. We do not have the capacity to make the ammunition that this suit requires. You will need to obtain that elsewhere. Our team is preparing what it will need to install your shield emitters and power generators," the Queen said.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Rick bowed deeply and displayed his empty hands.

"We have two more things to discuss. The count is above what we requested and we need to know what you require as compensation. We also would like to create another barter. We want to keep the cargo ship and have you teach some of us in how to pilot it." It was going to be their first ship. They could make things but they couldn't seem to understand how to pilot it. The jump drive was just something currently beyond them.

"We need to know what you want in return," the Queen asked.

Rick opened his eyes wide. He sure as hell hadn't anticipated this! He leaned toward Kate to whisper softly in her ear, "Got any ideas?"

Kate had heard every word, though most of her time was spent not trying to freak out from being surrounded by large spiders that she was still convinced wanted to eat her.

"May we have 24 hours to discuss it before giving our answer? We will inform you this time tomorrow." Rick was hoping that the five of them could come up with something.

"We accept your request. Our installation team we start immediately." Rick knew when he was being dismissed; he bowed deeply, showed her his empty hands, and waited for Kate to repeat his actions.

Rick stopped at the airlock with Kate and Gina. "This has you written all over it, Gina. Impressive." She was smarter than he had given her credit.

"We look forward to your answer." Gina was noncommittal as to whether she'd had anything to do with it.

Rick and Kate were back in their ship. "I hope your parents are ready for this. There are going to be spiders all over this ship. On every floor."

"I hope so, too." She'd tried to warn them about there being spiders on the ship. But actually seeing them and being surrounded by them was something else entirely.

"I'm going to go see what it takes to clean the room Gina has been using." Rick feared what she'd done to it. She had retreated to it carrying her bison with her. It told him she had been eating in her room all this time.

"She's bigger than I remember," Kate commented as they walked. He hadn't really noticed but now that she mentioned it, he had to agree.

Rick opened the door and felt his jaw hit the floor. " **OH - MY - GOD!** "Kate felt her jaw drop as well. The place was filled with spider webs. They were everywhere, so much so that you could no longer see the furniture. If in fact any of it still remained. In addition to that there were three large well-wrapped cocoons hanging from the ceiling. They were a little desiccated now but neither of them had any trouble envisioning a just-caught bison inside it.

"I'm going to kill her." Rick saw it taking weeks to clean this mess up.


	20. Chapter 20

**Hunter and Hunted**

 **Chapter Twenty**

"I may be spending your installation time in my room. Does this ship have room service?" Johanna had seen the giant spiders scurrying around in what felt like _everywhere_. She had no idea how Katie had coped being over there surrounded by even more.

"Don't look at me. I'm going to make sure that somehow the door's locked and barred." Jim was no one's delivery boy, not even his wife's.

"Fine, fine." They could lock themselves in their room and starve as far as Rick was concerned at the moment. He didn't see what all the fuss was about. After all, they'd seen Gina for weeks.

"We need to come up with what we want in return for their request. And no, I don't think declining is an option." Rick was **not** interested in pissing off the Queen. They might need to come back here someday.

Jim aimed high. "Go to Earth and kill all the Zombies?" Only to have his wife glare at him. He bristled defensively. "They want a cargo ship so they can do for themselves what we just got done doing. They're going to have to kill some of the Zombies just to get what they want. So why not kill all of them?"

Kate shot his idea down. "There are millions if not billions of Zombies on Earth by now, Dad." She looked at Rick and Alexis. "You two are aliens, what's out there that we need and they can provide?" Kate didn't see it as _what did they need_ as to _what could the spiders provide_.

Rick and Alexis remained silent for a minute then he spoke up. "Ammunition for our suits is out, we know that. We're already getting shield emitters and power generators to go with them. We have a weapon." He looked at Alexis since she was hooked up to their computer.

"Two more suits maybe? One for Jim and Johanna." It was the best she could come up with.

"So we can go where you two go and kill Zombies." Johanna shook her head. Alexis's idea got shot down fast as far as she was concerned.

"Actually two more suits isn't a bad idea." It was something he hadn't considered but he was starting to like it. Rick raised a hand to stop Johanna and tried to reason with her. "Hear me out. With you two in suits, even if you don't do any shooting, you can move around far more safely. The Zombies can't infect you if they can't reach you."

"You've seen what Rick can do in one, Mom. Why do you think I want one? Just so I can kill Zombies?" Kate listed her favorite reasons for wanting a suit: "Run like Rick, jump like he can. Push and lift what he can. Plus kill Zombies that are trying to kill me."

"She has a point." Jim saw the benefits of wearing a suit like Rick's.

Johanna had to admit that watching what Rick could do in his suit was amazing. The things he did in it. But she saw a flaw in the idea. "We're going to have to go over there and get fitted for one like Katie did, aren't we?"

"Keep your eyes closed," Jim offered and withstood his wife's icy stare. "You got used to Gina."

" **ONE** spider, just one. There are how many over there? Hundreds? Thousands?" Johanna stubbornly shook her head. She was going to faint dead away, she just knew it. "What if I screw up while being fitted? Faint dead away in front of this Queen you talk about?" What would they do then?

"Get drunk and then go over," Kate suggested, trying to smile since it was a little funny.

"Drink a bottle of wine first." Johanna was ready to start laughing. "Better yet two bottles. I won't feel anything by then."

"We do have a lot of wine," Jim said and heard Katie snort while his wife threw eye daggers at him. "You want to do this drunk or sober? Do you want to remember this in the morning or wonder where the suit came from and not remember getting it?" he challenged.

"You know the old saying, Mom. Are you a lion or a mouse? Think of them as being prosecuting attorneys in a court room and stare them down." Kate hoped that would get her to agree.

"Squeak!" Johanna answered quickly. Then she moaned. She'd lost and she knew it. They needed something to protect them from the Zombies and this was it. She hurled a final threat. "Fine! But if they eat me I'm killing the lot of you and then haunting you for the rest of your days.

She sighed. "Give me an hour before we go so I can at least get one bottle in me." Johanna was sure she was going to need something to strengthen her resolve and not pass out from this.

"Great! You two can come with us when we give them our response. That way they can get you fitted immediately." Rick was happy and saw Kate smiling.

"I'm going to regret this." Johanna was now sure she was the one that was going to get eaten. She threw eye daggers at her daughter when she started laughing at her expense.

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They were walking across to the spider web to deliver their reply to the Queen. "Remember, bow deeply and show her your empty hands or they really **will** eat you," Kate cautioned her parents just as they reached the door that just seemed to dissolve.

"Wish it would work like that in her room," Rick whispered. Then he said, "Oh hey, Gina! Good to see you. You remember Jim and Johanna. They have the response to the Queen's request."

"Excellent, follow me." Gina started to scurry away.

"Remember Johanna does the talking for the suits. She's the older female and is in charge." Rick knew his place. He may be liked by all of them, but he was a male.

Johanna saw them all and if it wasn't for her own daughter, she might be running away right about now. She also felt Jim's hand in hers as she walked into a room with a large queen on an elevated pedestal and the room packed with spiders.

"Mom!" Kate poked her while whispering softly. Her mother needed to begin talking or they might soon all be dead.

Johanna took in a deep breath and bowed deeply while showing her empty hands. "Your Majesty, we have reached an accord regarding your barter request. This is my husband, you already know my daughter Katie, and of course, Rick." Johanna did her best to see the Queen as a judge that actually held all their lives in her…hands.

"Excellent! Why have you not eaten your husband?" To her and them as a whole this was unacceptable.

Johanna had been coached by Rick for this and other questions she might have. She replied as Rick had instructed. "I still have hope that he will give me more children. Plus he has his uses yet."

Her husband looked too old to her to provide her with more children. He was far older than Richard Castle was, still the Queen did not know their life spans. "Let us hope so." She accepted her response.

"We await your answer." She and her cluster needed this cargo ship, so she was hopeful they had a response. She was willing to accept a lot from them in response.

Johanna stood as straight as she could and told her what they'd decided. "We believe that we will be encountering more Zombies so our response to your request is this: I want a battle suit similar to the one you have provided my child as well as one for my husband. In return you may keep the cargo ship and Rick will teach you how to control it, as well as keep the extra bison that we have provided."

"Excellent! We accept your offer." The Queen couldn't believe they were getting off with providing so little.

They all heard clicking sounds that were not translated and watched as two spiders came up to them. It was enough that Johanna quaked in her shoes. One of her fears was that they would accept then eat them or hold one or more of them hostage until Rick taught them how to control the cargo ship.

"These two will take you and your husband to be fitted. We request that Richard Castle begin immediately and Gina will escort your child back to your ship," the Queen said and made untranslated clacking sounds.

Rick saw two spiders approach him as Jim and Johanna walked away with a pair of them. He recognized one of them coming toward him. "Hi, Rachel. Lead the way and we can get started."

He walked away with the two of them. "Do we get food and bathroom breaks?" He was hoping for both.

"Come with me," Gina instructed Kate and began to scurry away, forcing Kate to hustle to catch up. "I will remind you not to interfere with the installation," Gina cautioned once they'd reached the airlock.

"I will do my best, thanks." Kate walked across to their airlock and headed to her room. She could think of only one really safe place while the spiders did their work. She stripped and slipped into her one and only bikini and went to the pool. If Gina hated rain and water, it was surely the safest place on the ship.

Alexis meanwhile was watching every spider on her ship and what they were doing while doing her best not to feel like they were crawling all over her body. "This is so gross," she said to herself as she watched them scurry seemingly everywhere.

+x+ [- **O** -] +x+

Rick had taught Gina and the others how to use the controls on the bridge. They'd even made a jump to Earth, landed the ship before going back up into orbit, then jumped back home.

Jim and Johanna were looking each other over as they helped one another get into their combat suits. Kate had warned them that it was going to fit like a second skin and that it had a computer that monitored everything.

"What do you think? Was it worth it?" Jim looked at his display while he watched his wife walk around their bedroom.

"I could do without having had giant spiders putting legs all over me." Then she made an admission. "But yeah, I like it. It has heating and air conditioning built in and Rick told us that we could survive out in space for a while."

"I like how we don't have to use the bonus when we move if we don't want to." He was sure that if they both turned that on they would be jumping or walking through walls.

Johanna watched as Jim exposed the launchers that were hidden away on his shoulders. They had no ammunition so it was safe. She did the same. "I'm still not sure how I feel about killing Zombies." Killing was killing to her regardless of the reason.

"Think about what Katie felt she had to do when she used my weapon while we were escaping. We react to protect each other." Jim had no trouble shooting Zombies. Besides they were already dead, they just needed to be more dead.

"I suppose." Johanna would wait until that time came to decide.

+x+ [- **O** -] +x+

It had taken the spiders three weeks to install everything and interconnect their main power with the new anti-ion generators that served their three shield emitters.

"Is everyone satisfied?" Rick asked after they'd made it to the bridge.

"I've run every diagnostic I know, Dad, we're good to go. Just pick a location." Alexis was happy too. Happy that they had everything they wanted and happy that all the spiders were off her ship.

"Where to?" Rick looked at the Becketts. "Another Costco maybe? We have food even if we have spent three weeks worth. I owe you more clothes," he suddenly recalled.

"Yes you do." Johanna was onboard with this plan.

"More swim suits!" Kate was hopeful that she could find something that would wow him.

"So Earth or do you want alien clothes? Wear something you've never seen before?"

Johanna looked at everyone. "Earth's fine. At least we won't have to barter to purchase any of it. Plus we all have suits to protect ourselves." They couldn't shoot anyone but they could outrun all of them.

Rick made the decision, "Earth it is, Alexis," and waited for her to jump them.

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"Okay, this is as close as I can get us," Alexis informed them after landing in vacant area just off of Bruce Woodbury Beltway and West Charleston Blvd.

All four of them were in their battle suits. "There's a Costco, Marshalls, and Ross Dress for Less that way," she gestured. It was diagonally from where they were now.

"I like it. I'll take the Costco while you three take the clothing stores. **STAY** **.** **IN** **.** **CONTACT!** " Rick pointed sternly at each of them. "Try to avoid combat; get what you want, and get back here. I'll take the sled and get all the frozen food I can find and as much of the canned food as possible that you talked about." Johanna had wanted more vegetables. All the fruit had likely gone bad by now save for what was in cans or jars.

Rick was pushing his sled as he watched the three Becketts race at high speed across the road and were out of his sight in no time. He shook his head. "Women." He was never going to understand them.

"I HEARD THAT, BABY!" Kate sang out.

"GOOD! Make sure it stays that way," Rick retorted.

Rick was busy loading case after case of vegetables that Johanna had asked for. Then he went over to the frozen section. He was mostly after meat but he didn't ignore the items listed, such as ice cream. Could they maybe get an ice cream maker?

He was alone after he had shot every Zombie in the place. He was also listening to Johanna, Jim, and Kate asking each other questions. None of it really made any sense to him. It was things like, _"What do you think?" "Not with a thong bottom_ _,_ _Katie!" "What about this dress?" "Not those pants_ _,_ _Jim, go over there." "Go get a suit_ _,_ _honey." "Yes_ _,_ _Katie, you never know when you will want one. And don't forget to get shoes with that."_

He was preparing to push his cart back to the ship and already knew he was going to be last since the others had everything they wanted already. Then he saw it – a hand-cranked ice cream maker. It wouldn't require trying to jury-rig the power connection, just muscle. He thought it was perfect. He put one in his cart and hurried on his way.

"Rock salt, she said we need rock salt to make this thing work." It had Rick leaving his sled and going in search of rock salt.

This time he had three people in power suits to help him store all the supplies he had gotten for them so it went much faster.

Rick was headed for his room to change out of his suit when Kate caught up to him. "Wait until you see what I found," she purred at him and tried to shake her ass a little extra as she walked to her room to take her suit off.

Kate immediately put on one of her new bikinis. She hadn't listened to her mother and had gotten a couple of suits that had a thong bottom. However, she chose to save them for later.

+x+ [- **O** -] +x+

They sat in Earth orbit, perfectly safe, while they relaxed and did nothing.

Johanna had a question, though, and was on the bridge to ask it. "Alexis, do you have a way to play this?" She held out a DVD for her to see.

Alexis popped up and looked at it. "No, but I can scan it and any others then store them in the computer. You can play them on any screen when you want. Just the one?"

"Great, be right back." Johanna ran to their room and was back a moment later with two plastic bags filled with DVDs. "We stopped at the Best Buy and I got a bunch of movies. They also had music but I wasn't sure they were playable."

"Take each disk out, and one at a time, place it here," Alexis instructed and scanned all the discs that Johanna had. "Complete. You can watch them anytime you want." She retreated into her computer and decided on which movie to watch. She'd never even heard of them so wanted to watch all of them.

+x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] + **X** \+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+

"Where are we going now?" Kate asked. Everyone was on the bridge prior to jumping.

"We're going to go see a really good friend. Her name is Bee. She's a Maz so don't laugh at her. She can be temperamental and will shoot you for little to no reason," Rick warned them. "But she's a genius when it comes to making things. At the moment she's working as a weapons transporter."

"You mean she's a smuggler dealing with weapons," Johanna said sharply, thinking that she already hated her.

Rick placed a finger to his mouth and shushed her. "She has more ammunition than we'll know what to do with. We just need to find out what she wants for it." Barter was king.

"You know where we're going, Alexis, jump when ready." Having her in charge of it was easier on him. He didn't have to pull up the coordinates and input them, warm up the jump drive, check the travel route to make sure they didn't go through a black hole or something worse.

"Jumping," Alexis announced. However, the second they arrived, she sounded an alarm and raised the shields without her father's consent. "We've jumped into a middle of a fight, Dad." She put it up on her 3D display table.

"This makes no sense. These ships are Utapaun while those look like Clawdites and these are Zorn Industries cargo ships. What the hell is going on?" Rick kept looking. "Raise our shields."

"Already up," Alexis answered quickly.

"Are these the same cargo ships that were full of Zombies?" Kate was keeping up even if she didn't recognize any of the names.

They watched as one of the military ships fired missiles that impacted on the station's shields.

"Alexis, scan for any good guy military ships. Is anyone supporting her?" Rick tried to think about what to do about this mess.

"Scanning… No one. Bee's on her own." They saw Bee shoot out a single missile that impacted on a military ship and watched it blow up.

"One down." Jim liked that.

"She's an arms dealer. Her station is one of the more heavily armed that I know of. Why destroy just one?" Rick didn't understand.

"Alexis, see if you can raise her, then fire up the engines and take us closer. Try and keep her station between us and the attackers." They were not at least attacking her on all sides.

"Smart Zombies?" Kate queried since that was what they were last time.

"That helps explain why they are all on one side. Not smart enough to attack from all sides and divide her attention and diminish her fire." Rick tried to think this through.

An angry-sounding female voice answered Alexis's hail. "Richard Castle, what the hell are you doing here?"

"I'd planned on coming to barter for some ammunition but maybe what you need is someone to rescue you. How are you doing?" Rick needed an update from her.

"DAD!" Alexis put up a display of a pair of destroyers heading for her station. "Are they thinking about crashing into her?"

"Damn it!" Rick swore. "It'll lower her shield and allow those cargo ships to crash into her, allowing the Zombies into her station.

"Bee, they're going to ram you before the cargo ships hit you and empty their Zombies into your station. I'm coming to get you. I need you to lower a section of your shield." Rick felt a deep-seated need to save her.

"I'll be fine. Get your sexy butt out of here," Bee replied though she knew she'd already lost this fight.

"Don't do this, Bee. PLEASE!? Lower your damn shield and meet us at the airlock." Rick had no intention of slowing down.

"You're too stubborn for your own good, Richard Castle. Shield down on your side."

"Take us in, Alexis. You three go get into your combat suits, I'll be right there to arm you with what little I have. **MOVE!** " Rick yelled since none of them had taken a single step.

"Dad, it looks like those two destroyers are going to hit her shield just as we dock. Those cargo ships will follow. Her station is going to be wrecked." They were going to have trouble once inside.

"Dock us and keep those shields up. The second we're all onboard get us out of here. Don't wait for me to tell you. Pick a spot and jump us." Rick ran for the transit pod.

He showed up at the airlock in his combat suit carrying what little ammunition he had. He loaded each of their arm weapons and put some into one of their shoulder launchers.

"Listen to me. I know you've never done this before and I'm asking a lot of you. Pay attention to your computer and fire only what your targeting system has a lock on. One shot per Zombie, no more. Run to the ship when I tell you," Rick instructed.

"We find Bee and get out of here." He opened the airlock door and went inside. He'd filled his suit with ammunition but had only filled the others about half way.

"This had better work out." Rick was risking a lot for an old friend who was the most stubborn person he knew. She might not be pretty and was really rough on the outside, but deep down he knew there was a different person.

Alexis popped into view after they'd left. "Good luck. I'll be here." If they didn't ever come back this was where she would die. She wasn't going to live on without them.


	21. Chapter 21

**Hunter and Hunted**

 **Chapter Twenty-one**

Rick stepped into a mess as fiber optic cables, lights, panels, and more were hanging from the ceiling; there was smoke everywhere. Then things got even worse. The entire station shook like something big had hit it. "Alexis?" He knew she would know.

"Bee's shields are down. That was the two destroyers doing that. There are three cargo ships that have activated and are on the way. You have maybe 16 to 18 minutes before they hit the station, that will be about 3,000 Zombies," Alexis warned.

"SHIT! We don't have that much ammunition. Try and reach her, have her tell you where she is." Rick started walking and checked to make sure the others were right behind him. "Keep your eyes open back there. Once the Zombies get here they might find away behind us." He kept walking while using his targeting system to see if he saw anyone. However, what he saw so far were dead bodies. Waiting to be infected.

His warning had Jim spinning to look and scan behind him before turning back around. He didn't want to get lost in there.

"Three levels down, Dad and more to your left." Alexis came back. "She said something about loading something."

"Of course she is," Rick muttered. He should have known that she would be worried about some _thing_ instead of her own life.

Rick stopped at a transit pod. "We need to find a ladder down, look around." He didn't trust that the power would last the trip let alone the trip back up.

"Over here," Kate called out and watched Rick start down the stairs. She followed him, her mother and father close behind them.

Progress was slowed when they had to move debris off to one side. They decided to try a different route when that space was actually on fire. "One minute, Dad. The first cargo ship's about to hit."

"SHIT! Where is she now?" Rick was worried that she would move and they would never find her in this mess.

"She says she hasn't moved. That she can't move, whatever that means." Alexis replied a moment later.

"Can't move?" Johanna had heard everything and was really beginning to worry about this trip.

"Just keep your eyes open. Zombies may be slow but if there are that many of them, this place will fill up fast." Rick lifted another piece of debris to one side.

They kept moving. "We're here, where is she?" Rick really wished his suit could talk to more than just his ship. In fact he didn't know how Alexis was talking to her now. It looked like the main power was down.

"She says in a storage locker. Look around. The third and last active Zombie-filled cargo ship is about to hit," Alexis added.

"Doors, start opening doors." He had no idea where the storage lockers were located on her station. So Rick picked one and just as quickly closed it. He was closing the second door when he saw a beam streak just past Kate's head.

"HEY! DON'T SHOOT ME!" Kate shrieked; she was here to rescue her, not get killed by her.

"She's says sorry and that she needs a hand to carry something," Alexis announced, having heard Kate screaming.

Rick took off his helmet and instantly smelled smoke and burning whatever. "BEE, What the hell!?" She almost killed his mate.

"Richard Castle! Who's that?" She pointed at Kate who she'd taken a shot at.

"This is Kate, my mate. We need to get moving. Cargo ships filled with Zombies are crashing into your station. And why are you fighting alone?" Where was everyone?

"Help me carry this. Move that gorgeous ass of yours and give me a hand." Bee didn't put down the weapon she was holding that was actually bigger than she was, though.

"This is Bee?" If Kate was willing to admit it, she'd been thinking that Bee was actually going to be just that, a bee, with wings and all.

"Jim, Johanna, get in here and pick this thing up." Rick didn't think he had the time to argue with her about carrying anything. It was just better to help her and get moving.

"Kate, Bee, take point. Get us back to our ship." Rick put his helmet back on.

Bee got out in front, mostly because she could only talk to Alexis and she wasn't here, though she wanted to watch her case carefully. What was in it was invaluable to her.

"Zombies!" Rick's voice warned followed by him shooting the creatures in the head. Problem was when one fell another took its place. "Keep moving, maybe a little faster." They moved slowly but there were so many of them.

Kate was a little behind Bee when suddenly Bee started firing her huge weapon. Kate still didn't understand how she could even use that thing. However, her firing it meant she was shooting at Zombies. Kate saw several behind the ones Bee was shooting at. It got her to bring up her targeting system and doing what she had been told, Kate fired one round per Zombie. "Rick, they've gotten behind us already!"

Bee started moving again, so did Kate. Her parents were right behind her, carrying what was about the size of a casket and almost looked like one save for the fact it appeared to be made of metal.

"Keep moving!" All Rick saw was Zombies. The part he hated most was the fact that his ammunition was being used up. He'd been through this before clearing out that Xindi Carrier. But he'd taken extra ammunition with him for that one. Now he had nothing extra on him.

Bee and Kate were a little out in front of Jim and Johanna, enough so that when she turned to look she didn't always see them. That was partly because of the stairs and partly because of all the mess.

It was because of that that she missed something. "JIM!" Johanna pointed past him only to have him point past her. They had Zombies coming down the hallway toward both of them.

They knew what they needed to do but they had never done this before so they weren't very fast at responding. Still it wasn't hard to fire a single round when the light came on indicating that they each had a lock on the head of a Zombie.

They were both still firing when Rick showed up. "Get moving, I'll handle this." They were slower than he was since they were carrying something between them. "Move it!" They hadn't yet started moving and were still firing. Finally Rick got their attention and they picked up what they were carrying and started moving. This left Rick to start firing behind him, as well as to his left and to his right. "Just how many damn cargo ships have hit us?" There were just too many of them to have come from only three cargo ships.

"Five so far, Dad, with two more about to hit. The last two are on the far side," Alexis answered him even if he didn't want one.

"How are you doing?" Was their ship in trouble?

"I'm fine, just get here without getting yourself killed." Thankfully, wearing his suit insured he wasn't going to get infected.

"I'm running low on ammunition so we need to be fast. Too many damn Zombies." Rick kept firing based on what his targeting told him. He was also watching his ammunition count. Still he had to keep moving or he was going to get trapped.

Kate stopped just a little behind Bee who was firing her monstrous gun. Well monstrous for her anyway, maybe even for herself. Since she was taller than Bee she looked over her, used her targeting system, and started firing.

They had managed to clear the corridor of not just Zombies, that had somehow managed to get behind them already, but also of debris that hadn't been there when they'd come through initially. Though since Bee was out in front and all of the corridors kind of looked the same to Kate, there was no way to tell for sure unless she asked and she was far too busy to do that.

Bee began moving again just as Rick caught up to Jim and Johanna. "What's the delay, keep moving." The corridor behind him was empty for the moment but that wasn't going to last long.

Johanna dropped her end of the case which forced Jim to stop; he asked what was wrong. "Just tripped over some debris." She picked her end back up again and Jim started walking again.

"We made it!" Kate saw Bee at what looked like an airlock; she watched her open it and go inside. Now that she was safe, her mind started buzzing with questions. Like how did the station still have air if cargo ships where crashing into it? Also how did dead Zombies not die exposed to open space? Then she looked back, saw her parents carrying that case, and waited for them.

"Go! Go!" Kate waved her parents into the airlock and waited for Rick. Her mother had just entered when Rick showed up, turned around behind him, and started firing.

This time it was Rick's turn. "Go! Go!" He wanted to be last and make sure everyone was onboard.

No sooner Rick had entered the ship than he retracted that walkway. "ALEXIS! Get us out of here!" It was time to leave. He turned to find everyone including Bee in the corridor that had access to the airlock.

"Moving." Alexis fired up the engines and started to move away from the station. "God, what a mess." Alexis could see what was left of it. Thanks to the cargo ships, one side had all but collapsed. That was when she noticed that there wasn't only a couple destroyers – there was a goddamn battleship! "SHIT!" At first Alexis wanted to add more power to the engines to get farther away from that beast. But no distance was far enough except one. She began warming up the jump drive.

"Stay here for now," Rick told all of them and ran to the transit pod that would take him to the bridge.

"Standby for jump," Alexis cautioned everyone after selecting a destination. Since it seemed they were going there a lot, she chose Earth once again.

None of them, however, listened to Rick and they all followed him. Though they had to wait for the next pod to arrive to reach the bridge. That pod had only just arrived.

"OH SHIT!" Alexis had spotted it. That battleship was building up power and she could swear she could see the weapon they were powering begin to glow. She had already committed some of their power to the jump, so she routed the rest to the shields and hoped they could take it. That was when she started the jump and it was also the moment the weapon hit them. The result was instantaneous. Everyone was thrown roughly up against a wall. They began to float then all of them hit the floor, seemingly face-first.

Rick pried the doors of his pod open since he had just reached the Bridge and what he saw was not encouraging. There were fires in every direction. He made to step out onto the Bridge to reach a fire extinguisher when suddenly he found himself floating again. He used the foot that wasn't in the air to push with and when he hit the ceiling he used the ceiling to push off of to reach the fire extinguisher.

The Bridge was starting to fill with smoke when he saw Alexis pop into view. Seeing her eased his panicked mind immensely. "We've got fires everywhere, Dad. Here, Engineering, and all three shield emitters. We have power for now, but barely." Her readings told her there was damn little and she was using most of it so she stopped projecting an image of herself.

"I'll handle the Bridge. Get Bee down to Engineering and the other three to take a shield emitter each." Rick reached the first fire and was in such a hurry that he didn't think and pressed the button. This caused two things: one, the propellant worked perfectly, but it didn't put the fire out. And two, what it did do was act as the business end of a rocket and send him crashing into the ceiling.

"DAMN IT!" He needed to start thinking or things were only going to get worse. He pushed off of the ceiling and landed where he could use his feet to brace himself and then used the fire extinguisher again.

Bee was much better at this. She found herself in Engineering with no trouble and had the big fire extinguisher in hand. Bracing herself, she began to put out the first of two fires.

The Becketts, though, had no such training. However, they did know what to do in a zero-G environment. Plus they still had their suits on. For each of them their first attempt at putting out the fire resulted in them all starting to spin out of control. "WHAT THE HELL!" Jim yelled just as Johanna spat out, "WELL, SHIT!" And Kate screamed, "DAMN IT!" With a little work they all braced for the next attempt and soon had the fires out as did Bee and Rick.

"Alexis!?" He didn't see her anywhere.

She answered by voice only. "Still here, Dad, just conserving power."

"What happened?" Rick pushed off to reach a console and hoped it still had power so he could see how bad things were.

"That battleship hit us just as we jumped. I added all the power I could to the shield. It should have blown a hole in us. A big one." Alexis knew what weapon had been used. They should be dead now. All of them.

"Can you replay it for me?" Maybe if he saw it he would understand what had happened.

"Not yet. Power's building, but slowly. A lot like last time." Actually it had been a really close call that it wasn't exactly like last time. For which Alexis was very thankful. She never wanted to be that dark again.

+x+ [- **O** -] +x+

Everyone was now on the bridge, the artificial gravity was back on again so they were standing and had even taken their helmets off. "Ready yet?" Rick asked. Meaning he was asking Alexis.

Alexis flickered into view. "Hi, Bee." It had been a while and Alexis kind of liked her even though most of the time she was a little insulting. It was just who she was.

"This is us. This is the station and this is the battleship." Alexis put all three up on her 3D display table. "I had killed power to the engines so we were drifting because of the residual movement. Just as we jumped, the battleship fired." She revealed what she had garnered from all of her recordings and scans.

Rick watched as the beam struck one of the pyramid's points. "It clipped us, One of the shield emitters, looks like."

"If it had hit us dead-on we would have a huge hole in us which would have killed us all," Alexis said somberly.

"Who installed your shield emitters?" Bee queried. "Whoever did it did a nice job." Bee had seen the power slice down in Engineering and since she knew the power that beam held, she knew they were lucky to be alive.

Kate answered her. "Gina. …Well her friends did, anyway."

"My kind of friends. Are they all as ugly as you are, Richard Castle?" Bee loved to tease him by saying the opposite of what she thought.

Kate snickered then said, "Worse! Much worse!"

"They were all spiders. About this big?" Johanna spread her arms wide and even then they weren't wide enough.

Alexis tried to get them back on point. "It leaves us with a problem. Main power's up, but the power to the shield emitters is down. The jump drive's down and our engines are also down." Alexis thought that was bad enough.

Rick closed his eyes for a few seconds and swore under his breath. "Which means we're floating in the middle of nowhere. Can't jump, can't move, and don't have shields. Our suits have barely any ammunition which means if anyone at all finds us, we're dead. Damn it all to hell! Any more bad news?" Might as well get all of it so he could go off and shoot himself with his last round.

"Just this. …I have no idea where we are. Nothing matches up to anything I have in my memory. Where ever we are, neither we nor anyone we've gotten maps from has _**ever**_ been here. I can't see or scan anything that resembles any place we know." They weren't just dead in space, they were lost in space.

"I'm sorry, Bee. Everyone." It might not be his fault, but he was in charge and it had been his idea to go see Bee to barter for ammunition.

"It's not your fault, baby." Kate moved in close to hug him.

"We're not completely weaponless." Bee had a secret. A big one. Normally she would barter for what was inside it. It was just that if she wanted to live to be even older than she already was then she knew she shouldn't. After all they'd saved her life.

That had all eyes on her. "What's in that thing that you just had to have?" Rick really wanted to know if it was worth them risking their lives, more than they already had been.

"Everything." Bee meant literally everything. "Every single thing I own."

She saw all the questioning eyes looking at her. "I traded my biggest deal for that container. It's a dimensional holder." Bee was all set to explain when Alexis broke in.

"OH MY GOD!" Alexis looked at her in shock. "You're serious." Now everyone was looking at her with questions, including Bee.

Alexis saw them all staring at her, waiting somewhat impatiently for an answer. "A dimensional holder is just what it sounds like. There's another dimension inside that box. So long as you can get whatever it is in through the opening, what's on the other side in that dimension could be big enough to hold a planet the size of Earth for example. But on this side it only weighs what the box is made of, however big that is. I've read about them but never knew that one was real, until now." She was beyond impressed.

Rick and even Kate were keeping up. Rick looked at Bee again. "Everything? How?" How had she done that? When did she find the time to do that?

Bee hated to do this. It just wasn't in her nature. She was an arms dealer and traded for everything and that included information. "We spotted the Zombie fleet jumping in. It was too big, plus they had that damnable battleship. My shields were never going to hold up under that thing. So I ordered all my workers to abandon the station.

"I stayed behind to load the case with everything I could. I had planned on taking one of the shuttles, but someone else took it. I was dead until you showed up. I never dreamed Richard Castle and his damn fine ass would save me." Bee shook her huge head.

Kate was still trying to get used to seeing her. Bee was maybe all of three feet tall. She had a really big head for such a small body. The fact that she was bald didn't lessen her _otherness_ _._ It was those eyes of hers that really got her, though. She thought of them as Marty Feldman eyes. They were huge and Bee always had those goggles on to cover them. Kate had no idea just what she was.

"Everything?" Rick tried again and saw her nod. "Ammunition, weapons?" That had been what they were talking about at the time and saw her continue to nod. "We'll work out what exactly is in it later. First I need to find out why the jump drive and engines are dead. Think you can handle the shield emitters? Find out what's wrong?" Rick looked at Bee.

Bee looked like she'd just been insulted and was all set to hurl insults at him when Rick held up his hands in contrition. "Sorry, just look for us, please. It's your life, too." If she wanted to keep on living they needed to fix this ship. Maybe she had just what they needed in that box of hers.

The question was, what did she want for any of it if she did?


	22. Chapter 22

**Hunter and Hunted**

 **Chapter Twenty-two**

Rick went down to the Engineering deck with Kate right on his heels. He didn't know what she could do to help, but telling her that and asking her to stay on the bridge would have been mean so he kept his mouth closed.

Stepping into the room told him that they had big problems. The fires had been localized by the look of it, much like the ones on the bridge. At least the atmospherics were still working so all of the smoke was gone or they might need to be back in their suits and Bee running around wearing a little breather.

Rick decided to start with where one of the fires had been located. After pressing a short series of panels a large vertical drawer slid out. Far enough that Kate could see what was inside. What she saw was a row of crystals. They all looked to be pretty good-sized. A couple were a soft yellow, a couple were a soft blue, however, a lot of them looked black and she was guessing that that was bad.

Then Alexis appeared and looked for herself. "This is bad, Dad. If the other jump drive crystals look like this…we're doomed."

Rick's face creased with worry. They had a few spares but not enough to replace what was in this drawer, let alone any others in the other two drawers. "Let's take a look at the engine control crystals." He walked over to another burnt area, pressed a short series of panels, and watched as another drawer just like the other one slid out.

She looked inside with him. "We're so screwed." Alexis backed away. "I'm going to go check on Bee." Maybe she was having better luck.

"Do those black ones mean what I think it means?" Kate didn't even begin to understand the system but you didn't need to be a genius to know what black crystals that should have been a different color meant.

Rick didn't answer her. He silently reached in and carefully removed one of the black crystals. He had no sooner gotten it out when the pressure was too much for it; it shattered and fell in pieces to the floor. "SHIT!" He moved back a step and looked it over. He made a decision: since Kate was here she might as well help. "Okay, watch me closely." He went over to another drawer.

"Press these three panels in this order. That will open the drawer. Go open the other drawers to the jump drive while I open these. Got it?" He knew she was smart and just needed to be shown.

"Got it." Kate avoided the black shards on the floor and went to open the other drawers, while Rick opened the ones that controlled the engines.

He groaned with each drawer he opened. Turning to look at Kate, he saw she was just opening the last drawer. "Tell me how many black crystals you see in each drawer," he asked.

Kate looked at the drawers and started counting. "Four in the one you opened…. Two in this one…, two in this one, and another four in the last one." She hoped that was good news because it looked awfully bad to her.

Rick looked at his drawers and was at least thankful that his black crystals didn't add up to hers, though he wasn't liking what he was seeing. Then Alexis popped in and looked it all over.

Alexis hung her head. "We're in trouble, Dad."

"How's Bee doing?" Rick wanted to know just how much trouble.

"Bee is only just reaching the second emitter area. The first one is fried, totally fried. We're lucky the control crystals took the damage. If it had made it past them to the generators…" Alexis didn't want to think about that.

Then her father said it for her. "We wouldn't be standing here. Damn Zurian battleship!" Rick cursed the heavens, knowing it wasn't going to help. But he did feel a touch better after doing it.

"Damn **Zombies**." Kate put the blame squarely on who had done it, not whose battleship it used to be. "Please tell me you have spares." She looked at the two of them with pleading eyes. Since going to get worse and bartering for what it took to get them was obviously out.

"A few," Rick conceded.

"Not enough," Alexis countered.

"Alexis, go watch Bee; if she has any undamaged crystals have her bring them down here. And ask her if she has any in that box of hers. We can work out what to pay her for them after she saves all our lives. Including her own," Rick asked his daughter who then disappeared.

"We're screwed, aren't we?" Kate really wanted him to say no, but she knew the answer was yes.

"Pretty much, yeah." Rick looked between the two areas, formulating a plan. "Okay, start taking out all the good crystals out of the drawers you opened and bring them to me. Don't worry about the black ones shattering on you. Just get the good ones."

The engineering skills that he had before the Zombies showed up were about to be put to the ultimate test. His main problem was that the crystals were not easily transferable. You couldn't just take one crystal out of the jump drive and put it in the main drive. It didn't work that way.

He soon had a nice pile of blackened and shattered crystal shards on the floor beneath his feet when Kate showed up with a bin holding the good crystals.

"Thanks." Rick took it and set it on the floor. "You see that drawer on that far wall? Open it just like you did the others and bring me what you find inside. Then pray Alexis has good news." He hoped they weren't dead, but maybe they were.

He was still looking over each of this drawers and what was in the bin at his feet when Kate showed up with the ones she had found in that other drawer. "Is it enough?" She hadn't found very many. Only four to be exact.

"I don't know yet." Rick went back to looking between what was left and what he had when Alexis popped in.

"Fried, Dad, all three emitters are fried." She walked over to where he was standing and stood next to Kate and looked down. "We're so screwed." Alexis had no trouble counting. They had more openings than they did crystals.

Rick wasn't ready to give up just yet. "Okay, we need this drawer to be full." He had no choice but to starting adding crystals until it was full. Once done, he then closed it. "See if you can run a diagnostic on just that drawer for me." He went back to looking at the vacant spaces and what he had left.

Alexis was still doing that when Bee showed up. "You look uglier than usual, Richard Castle, except for that fine ass of yours." Bee smiled at him. She already knew that he knew that he was one damn fine specimen and it had her wishing that she was a different race or at least one that was compatible sexually.

"I don't suppose you have any control crystals in that box of yours." Alexis hadn't said if she had asked her or not.

"I'm a weapons merchant, not a computer expert," Bee countered while sounding insulted. "But no, I don't. …I'm truly sorry." She let her rough exterior drop for a moment. Even she knew this was critical if they wanted to survive. "Is this the jump drive or the main engines?" Bee didn't even know that.

"The jump drive controls are over there," Rick indicated and didn't watch Bee go over to look. He was still focused on the problem in front of him.

"THEY'RE EMPTY!" Bee stated the obvious and began cursing in a language neither of them had ever heard. At least it sounded like cursing. She went back over to join Rick and Kate. "Can you fix it?" She could fix and make a lot of things. This just didn't happen to be one of them.

"I'm still working on that." Rick was trying to think of a way to basically get a round peg to go into a square hole.

"What about communications? Is there anyone near us? We can barter for crystals." She had a lot in her box to barter with.

Alexis shook her head and broke the bad news that she'd been holding onto since they already had enough to cope with as it was. "I've already tried that and scanned as far out as I can. We're completely alone."

Rick sighed heavily and forced himself to concentrate on the task at hand.

"Wait, I've got something! Just came into range." Alexis disappeared and showed up next to Jim and Johanna who were standing there talking to each other.

"We've got company," Alexis announced and brought it up on her 3D table. Jim and Johanna joined her.

"What is it?" All any of them saw was something like a big, wide, maybe flat, possibly metal bar.

"I don't know. It's too far out to get a good scan. If it's a ship it's the weirdest looking one I've ever seen." What she wanted was a better view of it. It was just that they couldn't move and it was really far out there.

Then Rick, Kate, and Bee showed up. "What have you found? Anyone we know?" They joined them at the table.

"What the hell is that?" Kate tried to look at it from all sides by walking around the table, but that didn't help.

"Since we're not in a system, what galaxy are we in?" Rick wondered aloud while he looked at the bar.

"We're not in any galaxy." Alexis sighed and scrunched up her face. "I can't even find a galaxy I've ever heard of. This is what I've scanned so far." She replaced the 3D view of the bar with what she knew thus far.

"That's a whole lot of nothin'," Jim stated sourly. "Is this thing even working?" He didn't see anything and looked the console over to make sure they didn't need to press something.

"Here's us." Alexis put up a white blinking light. Here's that new contact." She added a blue blinking light. "There's literally nothing else."

"Alexis, where are the stars? Is it because we're not in scanning range?" Kate didn't see anything at all.

"There are none in scanning range. The ones I can see are just that, using visual scan," Alexis answered.

"But there's…" Kate waved her hand at the display. "Oh SHIT! That doesn't sound good." There should be something. Why was there nothing?

"Please tell me this is not one of those _Twilight Zone_ episodes." It was the only thing Kate could think of that fit the facts.

Rick, Bee, and even Alexis looked at her like they had no idea what she was talking about.

"Good grief, Katie, couldn't you have thought up something else?" The idea that they were now in a real _Twilight Zone_ episode didn't make Johanna feel any better. Jim began whistling the series' theme song which earned him a swat from his wife. She was **not** amused.

Kate spent the next 15 minutes explaining the _Twilight Zone_ TV series to Rick, Bee, and Alexis.

"I think I like your planet. Where are you three from?" Bee was intrigued by the imagination needed to come up with such a thing.

"Just keep an eye on it. I'm going back down to Engineering. Unless it plans on hitting us we're never going to reach it no matter how close it gets without getting the engines going again." Rick left them to get back to work.

+x+ [- **O** -] +x+

He couldn't think any longer. He was tired, he was angry, and he was starving. He had, however, been happy that everyone had left him alone and let him think. Now he wanted something to eat and to get some sleep.

He walked through the living room and saw Bee sleeping on one of the sofas. "Damn it. We haven't finished cleaning Gina's room yet." He hung his head as he continued to walk to the kitchen. Luckily he found everyone there, already eating! He was too hungry and tired to be too angry that they hadn't called him to eat with them. He simply helped himself. "Bee not eating?" Or had she eaten already and then gone to lie down?

"She ate a snack and then left." Johanna considered what little she'd taken to be a snack. "How's it coming?" Were they stuck out here, wherever here was?

"I've got an idea but I need to sleep on it and talk with Alexis about it. …Tomorrow. I'm really tired and I can't risk making a mistake. If I fry any of the control crystals we still have, we're doomed." Short of going outside and pushing.

Rick was eating fast because he was hungry, he desperately wanted to take a shower and get some sleep.

"And if you can't fix it, what are our options, if we have any?" Johanna wanted to understand completely what was at risk.

"We have main power that will last for…" He didn't know how long. His mind wasn't working. All he knew was it was a long time. "We make our own water and we make our own oxygen. The air gets scrubbed so that isn't a problem." Rick tried to think.

"I'll have to shut down the pool eventually when we run out of chemicals to keep it clean. We'll run out of soap, shampoo, and other things about the same time we run out of food." They had a lot of food thanks to their trips to Costco, but it wasn't going to last forever.

Johanna knew she was going to run out of feminine products soon even if they had stopped and gotten some. She was also betting that her daughter and Rick were now sexually active. She had no idea how many condoms they had. She knew they had no birth control pills. Plus no doctor to help with the birth of her grandchildren. "Katie?"

"I've got maybe a year's worth of tampons left. Maybe another six months…maybe." Kate's mind immediately went to how many condoms they had left. She had gotten so that she loved making love to Rick, so they were making love almost daily. She was going to end up pregnant soon.

"Where do we go after you do fix the engines or jump drive?" Jim queried. Even if he did fix one of them, what were their options?

"One problem at a time." They needed engines first. "It leaves us with a problem…. Bedrooms. Where does Bee sleep?" He wasn't leaving her on a sofa, even if she did fit.

"We haven't finished cleaning out Gina's room," Kate said guiltily and was going to take a drink but she put her glass back down and groaned. Then she had a sudden inspiration. "She can have my room."

"Your bed's pretty big. But do you want to share with her?" Johanna was willing to allow it if Katie was willing to share.

"I mean she can **have** my room. All of it." Kate wasn't thinking of sharing.

"And just where to you think you'll be sleeping?" Johanna was starting to follow her daughter's thinking and wasn't sure she was onboard with it.

Kate made a _please don't be mad_ face _._ "With Rick." They were lovers, after all.

You could have heard a pin drop after that bombshell. "Katie!" Jim had heard her idea and while he liked Rick, this was taking things a little far.

"Katherine Houghton Beckett!" Johanna was with her husband in this.

"She needs a room, Mom." Kate tried to get them to see the up side. "What if she snores like a trucker? What if she sleeps naked? Does she have ANY clothes in that box? I'm not sharing a shower with her."

Both Jim and Johanna groaned. "How long until Gina's room is clean enough to use?" Johanna inquired.

"However long it takes you three to clean it. I'm busy. Kate's welcome to use my room. I have no complaints." His last comment had Kate smiling broadly. Her lover had just backed her up.

Johanna looked at her husband and they silently reached an agreement. "Just until we finish cleaning Gina's room." She and her husband were going to be cleaning it 12 hours a day from now on until it was clear of any evidence of Gina having stayed there and was spotless.

+x+ [- **O** -] +x+

Rick was thankful that Kate had let him sleep last night. It wasn't that he didn't like making love to her or that he didn't love her, even if he hadn't told her yet, which was its own problem. He'd gotten some sleep and felt refreshed after a quick shower. Now he was putting the last crystal into place.

"Run a diagnostic for me, please," Rick asked Alexis who had been standing off to one side, watching him.

"Okay, but it's not going to work." She wasn't an engineer but too many of the slots were empty for this to function. Rick, though, remained silent and waited.

Alexis opened her eyes wide when she completed her diagnostic. "It works, Dad, it actually works!" She didn't see how, but it came back positive.

"Okay, there's one thing you should know before you fire up the engines. This fix isn't permanent–" Rick wasn't finished yet when his daughter interrupted him.

"You're telling me!" Alexis actually rolled her eyes at him.

"As I was saying before you interrupted me." Rick glared at her with one of Kate's glares. Alexis remained unaffected. "You can't fire up the engines and keep them running. Some of these crystals aren't meant to handle the load. You'll burn them out and then we will be dead in space. PERMANENTLY!

"I need you to fire the engines for a few seconds only about every twelve hours, no more. Just enough to get us moving and then moving a little faster each time. Pray the crystals can handle even that." It was the best he could do. "The jump drive's dead and we don't have the crystals to even think about fixing it. The best we can do is more around a little." It was all they had.

"Move to where? We're not in a galaxy let alone close to one I've ever seen before." They were where no one had gone before.

Rick offered her a hint. "Only one place too go."

"That thing I scanned? That I still don't know what is? It's going to take us weeks to get there. Maybe months." **If** she was right about just how fast they were going to be able to go.

"Got another idea? I'm all ears, daughter of mine. Love of my life. …Just don't tell Kate that last part, she'll hurt me." Rick wasn't sure if he was teasing or not.

Still it had Alexis laughing. "Firing thrusters." She needed to get lined up with it. "Here goes nothing. Better get the fire extinguisher," she teased.

Rick watched the lights light up just like they were supposed to and then they went off. Nothing burst into flames which was good since he hadn't gotten the fire extinguisher.

"We're moving, Dad, we're moving. Really slow but we're moving!" Alexis was impressed by him once again.

"Good!" Rick was ready to collapse from all the built-up tension. "Light them up again in 12 hours, see if we can go faster. I'm going to go change and hit the pool to cool off," he announced and turned to leave.

"I'll tell Kate. She can warm you back up again." Alexis was really beginning to love teasing her dad.

Rick picked up a loose towel, threw it at her, and watched it pass right through her. All it did was get Alexis laughing at him before she disappeared to go tell Kate where her dad was heading.


	23. Chapter 23

**Hunter and Hunted**

 **Chapter Twenty-three**

 _It has been two weeks_

Kate woke up right where she wanted to be: naked, in his bed, and snuggled up next to him after having made love last night. She was becoming concerned about the number of condoms they still had. Rick had been inside her twice last night which meant they had used two condoms. Even if she reduced it to once per day, they were going to be gone fast. Not that she wanted to limit herself because of the number of condoms they had available. However, that was a topic they could discuss later. Right now she had something else on her mind. "You awake, baby?" Kate kissed the exposed skin that was right in front of her.

"I was. I'm asleep now, though." Rick hid his grin easily since she couldn't see his face in this position. That earned him a light swat. "Perhaps a spanking if you keep hitting me."

Kate was willing to play this game. "You promise?" She was totally onboard with him spanking her for being a bad girl. "Baby?" She waited and felt him turn to face her. His position allowed her to stroke her hand down his cheek. "I love you. I love you so very much." She felt tears forming in her eyes. She loved him and was displaying her heart to him.

Rick saw the tears and heard her words. He ran a finger down her arm. "Good, because I fell in love with you weeks, maybe months ago." He leaned in and kissed her.

"I'm not moving back to my old room." She was going to fight with her parents if she had to. "I love you; you're my lover so I'm not moving." Then Kate had a sudden fear. "Unless you want me to."

He kissed her again. "You're right where you're supposed to be," he murmured. Kate squealed and got up to sit on him just above his cock. She ran her hands down his chest.

"You love me and I can stay?" She wanted to be sure.

"I'm not moving you to Engineering," Rick teased and before she could swat him for that, he raised both hands and caressed her breasts. He had long since learned that she liked it when he touched her. What he was doing aroused her enough that Kate ground her hips over his soft cock. She really shouldn't since she worried about the number of condoms they still had. But this situation called for it.

She was just beginning to feel him harden and couldn't wait to have him inside her again. As much as she loved it when he went down on her, she much preferred to have his rock-hard cock inside her.

Unfortunately both of their intentions were misdirected when Alexis announced herself. Neither cared what Alexis saw any longer, though Kate did stop moving. "I've got a better scan on the object and this thing is amazing. Get the others, you really need to see this." Alexis disappeared only to pop back in for a moment. "Sorry." Then she was gone again.

Kate fell against Rick. "I love her, I really do, but her timing sucks." She wanted to get laid again, not go to the bridge to see what she had for them. All she got back was hearing her lover chuckle softly.

+x+ [- **O** -] +x+

Rick in his shorts, Kate in her bikini along with everyone else, all of whom were dressed in soft and casual clothes, with or without shoes, were now on the bridge. "Okay, pumpkin, you got us all here. What have you got?" Rick was anxious to learn whatever it was and by the look of the others so were they.

"So everyone remembers this flat-looking rod that we first saw." Alexis put it up on her 3D table. "We've been going straight at it for weeks. It looks like it's tumbling a little so now we can see…this." She changed the view.

It shocked everyone into momentary silence. "It's round," Jim said in surprise.

"It's round, yes, and I've been able to extrapolate what it looks like." Alexis changed the view again so that it was more at an angle.

"Mother of all… It's a ring." Rick had never seen anything like it.

"Not just any ring. It's 100 million miles wide and has a circumference of 600 million miles," Alexis related and Rick whistled his amazement.

"In English, please." Johanna got that it was big but just couldn't get it to correlate to anything she could compare it to.

Alexis tried to simplify it. "If you traveled from Earth to your natural satellite 418 times, that would equal 100 million miles. As for 600 million miles, that's roughly equal to the diameter of your Earth's orbit around your sun."

Kate understood those numbers. "OH, MY GOD!"

"I speculate that it would take 3 million of your Earth to make it. We're still too far away to get any detail. I've found something interesting, though." Alexis zoomed in.

Rick looked puzzled. "Is that a sun? But you said it was moving." The pieces didn't quite fit.

"It's not scanning as being a sun. I think it's artificial. Just don't ask me what it's made of. We're still too far away."

Johanna had more questions. "Is there life? Or Zombies?"

"Still too far away. What I can tell you is that it's spinning and tumbling a little as it moves through space. It is producing roughly .92% of your Earth normal gravity," Alexis told them, based on her calculations.

"Which means what?" Johanna was unable to comprehend what Alexis was talking about. It was far too complicated.

"It means we'll all weigh less if we stay there. If there's a place for us to stay there. If it can sustain life." Rick was hopeful since that might be their new home or at least a place to get food.

"SOLD!" Johanna grinned. "It means I can go on an eating binge and not gain weight." She knew that wasn't how it worked but it sounded good.

"You think we can live there?" Kate walked around the table to get a look from all sides.

"Why else would someone build it? I just can't imagine the engineering it took to construct it." Rick shook his head. He had a lot of questions as well. "How is it powered? What prevents it from being hit by asteroids? What keeps the atmosphere inside it? If it has one." Then a thought struck him. His eyes widened and he drew a sharp breath. "ASTEROIDS! Alexis, we need to slow down far sooner than either of us might be thinking."

"You think they might shoot at us thinking that we're an asteroid?" Alexis was catching on.

Rick rocked his head from side to side. "It's possible. They have to stop it from happening somehow. We need to get there for a lot of reasons. Just not too fast, please. We've managed to live this long; I don't want to die now." He wanted a future – with Kate.

"I'll begin calculations on when to stop using the engines to increase our speed and when to use them to slow us down. We'll slide in nice and easy," Alexis agreed readily and started her calculations.

"Dinner?" Rick glanced at Johanna since she had taken over cooking for everyone.

"Let's go, Katie. Time for more cooking lessons." Johanna was going to teach her everything she knew.

Kate groaned but followed her to the kitchen.

"You need to learn how to cook if you two don't want to starve after you get married." Johanna wasn't blind.

"Married! Who said anything about getting married?" Kate couldn't believe her own mother.

"I'm not stupid, Katie. You haven't moved out of his bedroom regardless of the fact that Gina's old room is clean now, and we've all seen how you two look at each other. …I expect to have several grandchildren so don't disappoint me." Johanna got out of the transit pod and started for the kitchen.

"But that means I would have to eat him and I love him too much to do that." Kate grinned from ear to ear as her mother chuckled, remembering what the female spiders did to their mates after having children.

"I'm going to have to eat your father soon in that case. I'm getting too old to have more children. You're just going to have to get used to being an only child." Johanna entered the kitchen with Kate in tow.

"Fine by me. That means I don't have to share you and Dad with anyone." Kate was happy to be an only child.

"Just don't get too used to it. I expect at least three grandchildren. Four or five would be better." Johanna was teasing but Kate didn't need to know that.

"MOM!" She was going to be pregnant forever at that rate.

+x+ [- **O** -] +x+

 _It is now two weeks later_

Everyone was back up on the bridge including Bee. Bee still hadn't shown anyone just what was in that case of hers. However, Rick liked her and wasn't going to push. She had proven to be a good friend so far.

"We're closer and I'm going to start slowing us down today. It will take another 4 weeks and 3 days to reach it at the speed I've calculated. Hopefully that will prevent them from firing on us. IF there's anyone there." Alexis just couldn't seem to scan certain areas and it was pissing her off.

"You mean it's abandoned?" Rick didn't see how that was possible. It was too damn big to be abandoned. "Is that sun in the middle putting out gamma rays or something worse?" It was the only reason he could think for it to be abandoned.

"I don't know if it's abandoned or not. A lot of my scans are being reflected or absorbed. …Okay, pictures." It was most of what Alexis was able to see. She gave them a hint. "Look inside the ring."

"What are those big dark spots?" Johanna saw them first. They seemed to spread across the entire side and lasted for some considerable distance inside the ring.

"Are those clouds and is that water?" Kate was looking at the spaces that weren't dark.

"I don't know how they're generating the dark areas. My theory is that it's artificial night and day. As the ring spins, stationary panels of some sort create nighttime. And yes, those are clouds and what looks like water." Alexis changed the view and zoomed in a little.

"There are actually lakes of various sizes as well as mountains, one of which I'm guessing is at least a 29 thousand feet tall. It looks to be covered with snow. I've also found at least one desert region." Alexis changed the view again.

"What about cities?" Jim was thinking that back on Earth there were a number of cities that held millions of people.

"Nothing big enough that I can see so far. Maybe in another couple of weeks when we get closer I can get more detail. There **is** one thing that's quite interesting." Alexis hadn't been expecting this.

"Okay, I'll bite. What is it?" Kate couldn't take the suspense and was sure Alexis was teasing them.

"The bottom portion, which is several miles deep, by the way. The dark side that faces out into space is covered using 100% pure Neutronium." Alexis knew the Becketts wouldn't know what that was, but she was sure her dad and Bee would.

Bee actually whistled. "Wonder what they want for some of that?" She would kill to get her hands on some of it.

"What?" Jim and Johanna questioned at almost the same time.

"Neutronium is the hardest man-made substance known in the universe," Rick said to help Jim, Johanna, and Kate. "Remember that beam from the battleship that put us in this mess? That beam wouldn't have even scratched us if we'd been encased in that material. I've only ever heard of it being made in tiny pieces. The biggest piece I've ever heard of was…" He wasn't sure what to compare it to so that the Becketts would understand.

Alexis did, though. "An 8-1/2 x 11 sheet of paper. In inches, of course, and it cost a small fortune to do that."

"And this thing is millions of miles of it?" Kate was barely able to imagine such a distance let alone what it took to create that much material.

Rick had a question for Alexis. "So why are your scans not able to penetrate? Only the bottom is made out of Neutronium. You should be able to scan the inside. After all it **is** open."

"I don't know, but something's blocking it. And I'm still trying to figure out how that artificial sun stays in one place. The ring is spinning to create gravity but it's also tumbling slightly as it moves through space." All her scans for that were also being blocked or redirected or absorbed.

"Two more weeks." Rick thought they were done for now. "How are the engines holding up?" They needed them to slow down so they could stop. Otherwise they would just sail right on past it or crash into it.

"I'm only activating them in short bursts as you requested. I do a complete diagnostic following each burst. So far they're holding up." Alexis smiled at him. "That was nice work, Dad." She still didn't know why it worked but it did.

Rick simply blew on his fingernails and then polished them on the skin of his chest since he was wearing nothing but shorts as usual. Much like Kate was in one of her bikinis. Even Jim, Johanna, and Bee had taken to wearing really lightweight clothing.

"Does this ship have a weapon?" Bee queried. Because if it didn't she could fix that. For a small price.

"We have a McKenzie Beam above us. If and that's a big if, the shield generators are still functional and can be controlled, we actually have enough power to fire it. If not, it's as useless as our shields." They were effectively flying exposed again. His old ship could shoot holes in them.

"So if they think we're an asteroid…" Kate would rather not think about what would happen then.

"We'll be dust in space instead of just lost in space," Rick responded. "Still nothing on just where we are?" They had to be somewhere.

Alexis shook her head. "I've got nothing, Dad. Nothing matches up to anything I have in memory. Our jump engines are gone. Even if they weren't I would need to know where I am so I could plot a course to get anywhere and not travel through a known black hole which would destroy us instantly. Plus at our speed it will take generations for us to reach the closest star." They were stuck.

"Not to mention enough food to last the journey and IF the engine control crystals lasted that long." He knew they didn't have enough of the first and seriously doubted the second would last much longer let alone a single generation.

Everyone got it. There was only one place for them to go, for good or ill.

"How many weapons and ammunition do you have in that case? In the event we have to defend ourselves from the locals." Rick didn't mean take over the entire ring.

"Enough for an entire army. IF they all have as nice an ass as you do." Bee still liked Rick and loved to tease him.

Kate had just about had enough. She was ready to bombard Rick with questions about Bee just as soon as she was alone with him. His fine ass belonged to her and she didn't share with anyone. Especially someone that was three feet tall with a big head that held Marty Feldman eyes.

+x+ [- **O** -] +x+

Kate was still fuming a week later AFTER Rick had assured her that she was the only woman for him. Bee was just being Bee and that she should ignore her.

"I am **not** jealous!" Kate told the ceiling of their empty bedroom. Rick had said something about going down to Engineering to see for himself.

"Am I jealous? I've never been jealous before." Kate couldn't remember ever caring if any of her boyfriends had even looked at another girl let alone kissed someone else. Granted none of her past boyfriends had ever been anything like Rick. Rick and her relationship with him was as deep and committed as she had ever gotten.

She needed to hear it again and make sure. It could be important. "Alexis, have you got a minute?" Kate called out while sitting on their bed.

"What's up?" Alexis popped into view and could guess what the topic was going to be since she heard almost everything on this ship and could see almost everywhere…if she wanted to.

"Rick had you when he was 15, right?" Kate knew that but had to start somewhere and saw Alexis nod. "And there's been no one since then?" Kate had a deep-seated fear and it was starting to get to her.

"Dad's met other women but he hasn't been with anyone since my mom…that I know of." There was a time when they had been separated so it was possible, if highly unlikely.

"So Bee…" Kate didn't know how to ask the question.

"Bee?!" Alexis actually began laughing a little and that really started to piss Kate off. She was being serious and Alexis was laughing at her.

"Bee's race isn't even compatible. Even if she did want something with Dad, she couldn't. Bee's just being Bee. Ignore her. Dad loves you, Kate, or haven't you noticed?" Alexis certainly had. "Even if there's some lovely queen on the ring that has her mind set on my dad, it isn't gonna happen." Alexis never saw her dad leaving Kate.

"What's wrong? Has Dad said something?" Alexis started searching her memory for anything he'd done that would possibly cause this.

"No, nothing's wrong. I'm just being stupid. Ignore me." Kate had gotten her answer. But she still worried that Rick would some day decide to dump her. He had even less experience in relationships than she did.

"Okay." Alexis didn't understand but she vanished anyway, retreating back into her computer.

Kate fell backward onto the bed. "God, I'm so stupid!" She started questioning why she had let what Bee said get to her. Was she that worried? Was she one of those clingy women that needed to be assured that they were loved daily, if not more often? "Get hold of yourself Kate!" She rolled over onto her stomach, wishing it was that simple.


	24. Chapter 24

**Hunter and Hunted**

 **Chapter Twenty-four**

They were all on the bridge after Alexis had called them there. "We're about two days out now," she informed everyone as she walked over to the 3D table. "I've got a pretty good view of it now. However, I'm still having trouble scanning all of it for some reason." That was the part that bugged her the most.

"The Ring is as big as I originally told you. It isn't just wide, it's almost equally deep and that's from what I call ground zero to the outermost section." Alexis proceeded to give them a picture of one area that was inside. "Not including the mountain ranges that are on the inside, since there are more than one.

"Now this area is one of the more lovely locations that I've seen. I'll show you the others I've found, but first this one. This mountain isn't all that high but it has a nice waterfall." She tried to pan around it so that they could see if from different sides. The drop is 611 feet to be exact. It falls into a relatively small pool with a grotto behind it and then it flows out into the countryside beyond. It's what I found out in that countryside that's interesting." Alexis changed the view.

"A city!?" Johanna saw it and what she saw looked like a series of buildings.

"More a town, actually. I haven't yet seen anyone, though if I give each building three occupants than it would hold roughly 331 people. So not all that big. It's surrounded by farm land that looks to have been worked at one point." Alexis gave them a moment to look then changed the view to something else. "Now this area is amazing!"

"WOW!" Kate loved the look of this place.

"They are pools made of white travertine. It's 8,860 feet by 1,970 feet and 525 feet tall in total. The surface is a shimmering, snow-white limestone, shaped over I-don't-know-how-long into calcium-rich springs. Dripping slowly down the vast mountainside, mineral-rich water foams and collects in terraces, spilling over cascades of stalactites into milky pools below. It's gorgeous!" Alexis loved the look of it.

"Life signs?" Rick wanted to know if it was inhabited.

"I can't seem to scan the interior very well for a reason I don't understand. That town isn't the only one I've spotted, but I've yet to actually see anyone nor can I find any life signs." Alexis was becoming annoyed at being blocked.

"OH, you'll love this." She changed the view again. "These are clear tubes and there appears to be what I'm calling roadways inside each one." Alexis zoomed in closer. "They look perfectly smooth and have a slightly elevated wall on either side." The walls looked like a form of glass and inside each of the two tubes were two of these roadways. "I've yet to see anything using them, though."

Johanna started walking around the table to look at it from all sides. She had a thought. "Maybe it's not finished. Can you superimpose railroad tracks in those smooth places?"

"Train tracks, just without the tracks." Kate saw it instantly. "Two tubes with two tracks each. …Transportation."

"Now for the big one." Alexis had no idea about this one and changed the view yet again. "This place defies my attempts at scanning it. All I can do is see its exterior."

Hearing that had all of them moving in closer and walking around each other to see it from all sides.

"It kind of looks like this ship, just back to back," Kate pointed out. Their ship had smooth sides where this double pyramid looked more like a step pyramid.

"Are those…windows?" Johanna had finally seen something different about it.

"I believe so, but they're mostly at the wider areas. Oh, and there isn't only just one. There are several of them." Alexis changed the display yet again.

Now they were back outside looking at the Ring, only now Alexis was highlighting the numerous double pyramid locations. "They're perfectly aligned between the Ring and the sun and I have a theory about that."

"We're listening." Rick was interested in anything his daughter had to say.

"The sun in the center is artificial. I'm betting that these double pyramids are what holds it in place. I just don't know how they're doing it. I also can't scan the sun itself. I have no idea what it's made of or how it's doing what it's doing."

"One more thing." Alexis changed to display yet again. This time she was focused on the dark areas. "There appears to be a darkened, though semi-transparent panel being held in the sky. As the Ring turns these panels create nighttime below them. They don't appear to be connected to the Ring itself, but I can't see or scan to understand why they don't move or what's holding them there. They're just hovering in place." She shook her head again over these panels.

"Oh! These dark panels create a standard cycle of night and day. A 24 hour time period, though technically it is 23 hours, 59 minutes, and 42 seconds long." Alexis tried to be exact in everything she did now. She blamed it on the computer in her.

Rick had a couple questions. It was his ship and he was in command, but more than his life was at stake now. "So where do we go? Where do we land and try to talk to whoever lives here?

Bee had a thought about that. "You say your scans are being blocked somehow. So landing inside will have to be done all by visual sighting. Based on the material the outside is coated with it will also resist your scans. But I, too, have questions. How did they build it? How did they get people inside it? Or how were they going to get people inside it, if in fact there's no one inside it?"

Rick began smiling. Bee was actually on to something. "Landing bays like for a carrier. Airlocks like every ship has. Alexis?" He was hoping she was catching on.

"On it, Dad! Starting visual scan for landing bay doors and airlocks… This may take some time. The outer surface isn't smooth. They could be hiding almost anywhere." Plus the Ring itself was massive.

"Movie anyone?" Johanna wanted to see one of the new movies she had brought back from their last trip from Earth and might be the very last trip they made to any planet.

"Ooo! Can we watch Toy Story 2? Please?" Alexis gave Johanna her very best puppy dog eye look.

"Fine." Johanna caved in quickly, mostly since she didn't care. It was a movie she hadn't yet seen.

"YES!" Alexis pumped her arm in victory.

Kate caught up to her mother as they made their way to the largest viewing screen the ship had and teased her because it was fun. "You so caved on those puppy dog eyes, Mom."

"I did no such thing," Johanna retorted, even if she knew that she had. "Maybe," Johanna relented a little as Kate bumped her with her hip before hurrying to catch up to Rick and Alexis.

Johanna was smiling widely even if her husband was grinning at her. She had learned to love Alexis almost like her own daughter. It was hard not to love everything about the girl.

+x+ [- **O** -] +x+

"I've got nothing so far." Alexis hated to let them down but she hadn't yet found a way in. "At least they haven't shot at us. Especially when I've found what I think are weapons. They're all located on the edge of the Ring." Alexis brought up a 3D view of one of them.

"I don't think that's a weapon." Bee moved in closer and even removed her goggles for a moment before putting them back in place. "It's a beam, yes, but a weapon, no. I think it's used to deflect asteroids, not destroy them. Make them pass harmlessly past."

"Hmm. How about this one?" Alexis had seen two different variants and had lumped all of them into the weapons category.

"THAT is a weapon! Based on what looks like the size I'd guess a very powerful one also. That Drazi Battleship would be holed by this thing if I'm right and I usually am." Bee knew her weapons.

Rick smiled. "Baby?" Kate didn't see any reason to be smiling at a weapon that could destroy them in one easy shot.

"A weapon of that size means controls. Controls might mean crystals," Rick said and saw everyone start smiling. " **If** they use crystals and **if** they are compatible with our systems." They weren't saved yet.

Kate scrunched up her face. "I heard a lot of IFs in that."

"Yeah." Rick knew it might be a long shot, but at least they now had a shot.

+x+ [- **O** -] +x+

Kate, who was naked at the moment, was stepping up behind Rick who had just finished taking off his shorts. She ran her hands across his back then slowly wrapped them around him and pressed herself and her face into him. "I never knew I could love someone this much." A boyfriend had been just that. Rick was something more and Kate didn't have a word for it.

Rick placed his hands on hers. "I thought it was just going to be me and Alexis forever. I'll never understand how we found each other." He spun in place, slipped his arms around her, and held her close.

"An alien from outer space." Kate could barely believe it herself.

"I believe that's my line." Kate was the alien here, not him. He bent his head down to kiss her. Then Alexis popped into view.

Alexis cleared her throat. "Excuse me." She had her back turned to them both and had her eyes closed. Even if that meant she couldn't actually see them since she could.

Kate pressed her face into his chest to try and hide that she was trying to make love to her dad.

"Alexis?" Rick wasn't overly pleased by her presence.

"Sorry, but I've found an airlock…I think. Using only thrusters it will take us a few hours to reach it," Alexis told them.

He let go of Kate, stepped away from her, and approached his beloved daughter. "You've found a way in?" It was just what they wanted, what they needed.

Alexis turned her head slightly so that she could talk to him only to find that both of them were still naked. It had her snapping her head back around so as to not actually look at them.

"Set a course. Take us there and inform the others. Ask Bee if she has a combat suit in that box of hers that she can use. We go onboard ready for anything." Rick watched Alexis disappear. He already had plans on not getting much sleep tonight while he made love to Kate. Now he was going to be thinking about what they were going to find when they boarded it.

"You're expecting trouble?" Kate queried. Why else would they go over in full combat gear. "If Bee takes that cannon of hers they'll know we don't come as friends."

"I worry about a lot of things. Why don't they respond to communications? Why can't Alexis see anyone. She can see buildings, yes, but why can't she see anyone?" How could anything that big be empty?

Then Kate had a sudden fear. "Zombies?" Damn things seemed to be everywhere.

"That's partly why we're going to go in our suits. That and I don't know what kind of environmentals are over there. For all I know it's helium based." Actually he was more concerned about there being some airborne contagion than Zombies or helium.

Kate raised her voice to mimic that she had just inhaled helium. "You mean like this?" Kate smiled broadly at him.

Rick walked up to her and wrapped his arms around her. "Now where were we before we were interrupted?" He grinned and saw Kate smile just before he kissed her.

+x+ [- **O** -] +x+

It turned out that Bee did indeed have combat suit stowed away in her box of goodies. She also handed out, after climbing into it to retrieve them, enough ammunition to load all of their suits to full. "We can work out payment after," Bee informed Rick. Though that had Kate scowling at her from inside her suit. Rick, though, took it all in stride. This was life as he knew it. You didn't get anything for free.

"Make sure everyone can hear everyone else once we're onboard. Absolutely do **not** go anywhere alone. Except maybe for you, Bee. You and that cannon of yours can go anywhere you want." Rick knew Bee wasn't going to listen to him even if he did give her a set of rules like he was everyone else.

"Hold down the fort, Alexis." Rick entered the airlock and started across to the Ring.

His first problem was getting inside without wasting his ammunition or any of Bee's explosives that wouldn't even make a dent in the thing in the first place. But it looked simple enough. Press a few panels, wait for the red light to turn green, and then unlock the door and push it open.

Once everyone was inside they closed that door, pressed a panel that added air. Real breathable air according to his suit, then unlocked the door and pulled it open.

First thing they were confronted with a dimly lit corridor. Rick began guessing. "Looks like emergency lighting only. Maybe main power's down."

"Conserving power," Bee countered and got no argument from anyone. Rick chose left and the Becketts followed him while Bee went right. She was not afraid and thought she knew her way around a station. After all she had lived in one for a long time.

Left went a little ways before turning right and into the Ring. No sooner than they had done that when it stopped at a door. Unlocking it proved easy enough and Rick went inside. "HOLY SHIT!"

There were a small number of panels on pedestals to his right with just enough space for someone to stand behind each one. However, to his left were a series of windows that looked out onto a gigantic open bay that extended for a long ways.

That had all the Becketts looking out the glass with equal awe. Kate tried to point. "I think I see doors on the outside wall."

"You seeing this, Alexis?" Rick asked. He knew everyone else was listening, however Alexis had remained silent. "Alexis, can you hear me?" When he got no response he wasn't overly surprised. "If she can't scan this place, it's not surprising that communications are blocked as well. I think it's a landing bay for ships. Cargo ships or any ship. Doesn't look like our ship will fit, however." The doors weren't that big.

Rick left them to stare out into the bay while he moved over to one of the pedestals. What he found was a number of controls but he didn't understand a word any of them said. "Not a language I've ever seen before and my suit doesn't translate any of it. Let's keep going. Keep an eye open behind us. We don't need a hoard of Zombies sneaking up behind us." He kept moving until he came to a door.

His warning had Jim twisting to look behind him every few steps. He didn't want Zombies sneaking up behind him, either.

Rick's door ended in a small room. "Transit pod, I'm guessing." Rick waited until everyone was inside and then pressed the bottom panel. They didn't feel a thing, though, and the door they had just entered through opened for them.

A short few steps had them stepping out into an even more prodigious space that actually started to light up for them. "Motion control, I think. Looks like a warehouse." All any of them saw was case after case, stacked on racks.

To their left were a series of doors as far as the eye could see. Sitting at those doors looked to be some kind of droid.

"I think I get it. A cargo ship arrives, they unload it in that bay, and give it to a droid one item at a time. The droid in turn scans what's inside it and then takes it to a designated area in the warehouse before coming back to get the next one." Rick had no idea what was being delivered, but whatever it was, this place had a lot of it. A whole heck of a lot of it.

"That means there's a control center somewhere. A place that remembers what and where everything is." Kate was now interested in just what this place had in storage.

"Bee, can you hear me?" Rick began to worry that she had been silent too long.

"I'm fine, Richard Castle. Do **not** worry your fine ass about me. I believe I've found another of what you four have just found. There are no ships, though. The bay's empty but the warehouse is not. I'm going to pass though the warehouse to find out what's on the other side of it." As big as the warehouse was, it was nothing compared to the actual width of the Ring itself. Bee had no fear that she was actually alone and that even if Rick and the others came running it would take time for them to reach her.

"I copy, I believe we will do the same after we take a quick peek inside the bay itself. Stay safe." Rick turned to look for a man-sized access door that would lead out into the bay itself.

+x+ [- **O** -] +x+

Rick looked out into the bay and then into the warehouse. "What are you thinking?" Johanna knew the wheels in his mind were turning.

"They send supplies, then they store the supplies. So just where do all the supplies go? Do all of them go farther into the Ring or do some of them go up." Rick looked up. "The droids take what they get to where it needs to go."

That had Kate walking back into the warehouse and started walking from droid to droid. It also had the others following her since she had broken one of Rick's cardinal rules: _Do not go anywhere alone._

"Rick, down here." Kate thought she'd found something. She pointed. "It looks like a lift to me and there's a ladder next to it." Then she looked up to see a cage enclosing the ladder.

At first Rick questioned why there wasn't a transit pod like the first one. Then it dawned on him. "The ladder's for emergencies. Look around, see if you can find the override for the lift. Why climb when we can ride?" He began to look around as did everyone else.

Johanna thought she'd found something. "How about this?" It had a series of panels on a pedestal off to one side near the door to the bay.

"Same language as before. My suit can't translate it. What about yours?" Rick asked since her suit was made by spiders and his wasn't.

Johanna shook her head. "Looks like Greek to me." Jim stepped in behind her and looked and shook his head. Kate did the same.

"Guess we climb. Bee, do you copy all this?" His diminutive friend had so far been uncommonly quiet.

"I copy you are climbing up. I want to see what's past this warehouse." Her curiosity and belief that she knew what she was going to find had a hold on her.


	25. Chapter 25

**Hunter and Hunted**

 **Chapter Twenty-five**

It turned out to be one hell of a climb. "When does it end?" Kate was tired of climbing. It wasn't that her muscles were tired of climbing, since her suit was doing most of the work for her. It was just the repetition of doing the same thing over and over again with no end in sight.

"Remember this place is miles deep and since it was made using three million planets, that's a lot of dirt and rock." Rick was himself starting to wonder just when it was going to end. "Just keep climbing. Going back down should be faster once we get the hang of it." He was seriously considering sliding down the side of the ladder in sections.

"Down?" Kate groaned at the thought of having to go back down to get back to their ship.

They were still climbing when Rick called out, "I've reached yet another hatch. Cross your fingers." He was hoping this was going to be the last one. Their climb so far had consisted of them going from one section to another by going through access hatches. Only real downside to all this climbing was that they couldn't see out of the tube they were in. Thankfully it was softly lit by an occasional light. Plus the fact that all of the panels had worked so far told him that this place had power.

The second Rick opened the hatch, sunlight came pouring in and went down the tube until it hit the next hatch. "Daylight! Finally!" Kate had had enough.

Rick climbed out and found himself standing next to a building of unknown size, though it looked to be at least four floors if not a little more. He also saw those tubes that Alexis had pointed out. Turning around all he saw was green forests, lakes, streams, and a mountain range off in the distance. He also saw that darkness was headed their way and would be here soon.

Kate stood there looking out. "It's gorgeous!"

Johanna walked up next to her daughter and took it all in. "I think I see some buildings. They look to be made from wood…, I think." Johanna was using her zoom optical vision to get a closer look.

"So what's in the building?" Jim walked up to it and ran a gloved hand over it.

"Let's see if we can find out." Rick began to walk out into the world to get around it. On the back side they all found a very large door.

Rick found the panel and selected a panel and watched the large door part and open to either side. Inside they found a number of containers just like the ones down in the warehouse. They moved inside, walked past all of them, and ended up where they saw not two lanes for what could have been trains, but three.

Johanna thought she knew what it could be. "If there were tracks I would say this first one is a siding for a train. The train stops here so that other trains can pass by without stopping. It also prevents them from crashing into the stopped train."

"So where are the trains and where are the tracks?" Jim was buying what his wife was selling.

Rick nodded. "Makes sense. Below us is a bay where cargo ships land. Off of that is a warehouse to hold it all. That must be the lift over there. They use the lift to take it from the warehouse and up here to be loaded onto a transport.

"Also you're thinking too old school. Trains like you're thinking of don't run on rails anymore. Rails are far too dangerous, but you're right. Where **are** the trains?" Rick actually walked out onto the flat surface and hopped over the barrier. He walked over to the next one and jumped down into it. Not that it was a big drop. More of a step than a jump. He looked both directions and saw nothing. "The whole thing's enclosed. Tubes going each direction. A roof over all of this. So how do we catch a train, if there are any? Maybe they didn't finish construction yet and that's what all of this is." He waved his arm at the containers.

Kate glanced at him. She'd found something. "Maybe this. I can't read a word of it. It's like trying to read Klingon or something." It was the only thing she had to compare it to.

Rick moved over to join her. He sighed as he looked it over. "This might be it, but how do we call a train?"

"Just where will it take us if you do manage to call one?" Johanna demanded. "And who's driving it?"

Rick had to admit that Johanna had a point. "So we walk." He headed back to the large open door. "Okay, you two walk that way for one hour then come back. Kate and I will go that way." He pointed in two different diagonal directions.

Jim had some questions. "I follow what you three are talking about. What if what you want is from another warehouse and not at this one? How do you get it all out there?" He gestured toward the beautiful green spaces that had water and mountains in the distance. "Carrying it is too inefficient. They need something to load it all on, so where's the road to use to get it there?" All any of them saw was nothing but green grass and wild flowers.

"I don't know, Jim. It's something we're going to have to figure out later. Remember everyone, just an hour." Rick needed to check in with his friend. "Bee, do you copy?"

"I read you fine," Bee responded.

"We're outside at what looks like a loading dock for a train station. We're going to walk out into the Ring for an hour and then come back. Where are you?" Meaning what had she seen so far?

"I'm still in the warehouse. This place is huge and very tall. It looks to go on forever. This is poor planning. There should be something to ride or you'll be walking forever." She was like Kate, getting tired of walking.

"Maybe you missed it back at the bay, not that I remember seeing anything." They had climbed instead of going for a walk.

"Not going back now. Let me know what you find." Bee kept on walking.

"You two that way, we'll go this way. One hour out, no more. Not yet at least." They would try something else later.

+x+ [- **O** -] +x+

Kate looked at Rick as they walked. "What are you thinking?" It was nothing but fields and any buildings they did see were in the distance. Too far to try and walk or even run to even with their suits.

"Lots of empty space," Rick commented, seeing a whole lot of no one. But before Kate could say anything more he continued, "Think about it for a moment. Three million planets were used to make this place. Even if some of them were inhabited and I'm betting most of them weren't, just think how many people this place can hold." He tried to wrap his mind around the number.

"A lot," Johanna said since they could all hear each other.

"How many lived on Earth when you left?" Rick had no idea but was betting it was a lot.

"Just over six billion last I knew," Jim answered.

"Now take that number times three million and how many people could there possibly be here?"

"Six billion times three million. I'm not that good at math, not in my head anyway." Kate couldn't imagine.

"It's simpler than you think. What's six times three? It's that quadrillion. That would fill this place and we would be seeing lots of people. So say only a handful had people living on that planet. You relocated them while you destroy their planet and build this. There just might be only six billion people in this place from any number of different planets. Scattered all over." Rick could see it.

"Three million planets. They used an entire galaxy to make this place." Kate was thinking far too big, but she was at least on the right track.

Rick shook his head. "A galaxy could have 100 billion planets and they only used three million of them. No, that galaxy will have barely noticed a few missing planets. But think of the distances involved. It's light years from one system to the other even in the same galaxy.

"Now nine planets in your system. Times that to reach three million planets and that will tell you how many systems had to die to build this thing." If they were thinking, let them think on that for a while.

"Thirty-three thousand systems just like ours." Jim was better at math.

"Say 10% or even less had life on just one planet in each system." Were they still keeping up?

Jim had no trouble converting that number. "Three thousand planets, all with life on them."

"Now say our builders here selected with care and only used 1% that had life on them. Question is did they kill them off to get the planet they needed? Or did they relocate them? Just how benevolent were they?" Rick was mostly worried about that.

"Three hundred planets with life on them at six billion per planet." Jim tried to do the math.

"Would get swallowed up in this place. It's that big." Rick understood why they didn't see anyone. The odds were just not in their favor.

"So you're thinking this place is inhabited?" Johanna questioned.

"It depends. How benevolent were the builders? Did they just take what they wanted? Or were they more kind than that? Or maybe a little of both." Rick could see any and all of it happening.

"Both?" Kate wasn't following.

"Only take the young and leave the old to die. Take only enough for that race to continue but kill off the rest. How badly did they need that planet?" Rick was starting to worry himself into not sleeping tonight.

Suddenly Bee's voice rang out. "OH MY GOD!"

"BEE! What's wrong?" Rick turned to look behind him and tried to calculate how long it would take him to reach her since she had chosen to go a different direction, on her own. "BEE!" he bellowed. He was beginning to think about running to her, leaving Kate and the others behind.

"I've found something." Bee walked out to get a closer look, though even to do that was going to take some time.

"Found what?" If it was the builders, he didn't know who was in the most trouble. Bee was heavily armed and wouldn't hesitate to use that cannon of hers.

"Give me a minute or two." Bee needed to think this over as she walked. The place she was in was mammoth. It put that warehouse she had walked through to shame.

"Describe it." Maybe they could help if she did. It was then that Rick really wished Alexis could hear them.

"It's...I don't have the words to describe it. Hundreds of miles long and almost as tall." She was exaggerating a bit, but not by that much.

"I'm on a walkway that's about 500 feet wide. It looks to be elevated over a space that I can't see the bottom of. To one side there are these eight colossal…" Bee tried to think about how to describe them. "They're balls several miles wide, sitting on columns that are also several miles tall. Give me a minute." Bee chose to run to that side and look down. "Those columns extend farther than I can see. This place is immense!" She had never seen or imagined the like in her lifetime and she wasn't a spring chicken by any means. Not at 1,003 years old.

"Can you speculate what it is? Do you need help?" Was she in danger?

"I'm fine, haven't seen anyone or anything yet. As to what it is? My best guess…? It's a power plant, but this thing is titanic. I could put my station inside this thing several times over. I'm going to look for a control room. Just keep talking like you have been. Makes me feel better." Her tiny three foot body felt a little alone in this suddenly giant and empty place.

Rick looked at his display. "Another 15 minutes then we head back. Still nothing here." He resumed talking since Bee didn't seem to be in any danger.

"Nothing here, either. Just lots and lots of grasses," Johanna noted and continued walking.

+x+ [- **O** -] +x+

They were all back at the train station when Bee spoke again. "I think I found it. Going inside, if I can convince this door to open." It was resisting her and she was all set to blast it open when she got lucky and found the right code of panels to press.

"Not nearly as large as the power plant. I'd say whoever they are they're about your size. Lots of gauges and controls." Bee started looking it all over until she stopped at something interesting. "Found a screen. Filled with writing at each panel, a lot like the locked door."

"Can you read it?" He and they had no idea what any of it said.

"OF COURSE! You forget who you are talking to, Richard Castle. If you were here I'd shoot you, despite that fine ass of yours." Bee was insulted and decided to press a panel. Though she had no idea what it said and was never going to admit such.

"Huh." She studied what it showed her. So she pressed another panel inside of that screen. "Oh, now **this** is interesting." It wasn't a picture, however she had no trouble counting up to eight. So she pressed the panel that took her back out of that screen.

"OH, MY!" She pressed a different panel that showed her something else. "If I read this right, there are nine thousand and four of these power plants. I think all of them are interconnected, each with its own control room." Bee went back to the first screen and selected a different panel.

"SHIT!" She had been guessing before, now she was stumped. She had no idea what it was showing her now.

"BEE!?" Rick was instantly worried for her yet again.

"Okay fine, I can't read it." Then Bee threatened him. "But if you tell anyone I really will shoot you. Fine ass and all."

All four of them chuckled until they choked it off. "We're going to head back to the ship, I suggest you do as well and then we can put our heads together and talk. Decide what to do next." He couldn't force Bee to do anything and threatening her was out.

"On my way." Bee really wanted to stay and keep looking. But he was right. Not to mention that she was hungry and the sheer scale of this place made her feel small, and she hated being small. Not that she was ever going to tell anyone that.

+x+ [- **O** -] +x+

They waited in the warehouse area for Bee to show up. Thankfully she kept telling them where she was until she finally showed up. "You should have seen it. It was huge!" It was even bigger when you're just three feet tall. She was still trying to wrap her mind around just how many power stations there were. If she was right.

The second Rick got within communications range Alexis was all over him and then them as a whole. "WHAT HAPPENED? WHAT DID YOU SEE? DID YOU SEE ANYONE?" Alexis decided on a threat since she had been scared shitless for hours. They had been gone a long time and she had heard nothing. "Start talking or I'll lock the airlock door!"

Rick's reply was short, not believing for a moment that she would actually lock the airlock door. At least not for long. "We saw gigantic warehouses. Just off of this airlock there are a pair of landing bays, though they're both empty. The warehouses, though, are not. Bee thinks she found one of nine thousand power stations of a size none of us, I think, can imagine. We didn't see anyone, dead or alive."

+x+ [- **O** -] +x+

Alexis listened to all of them while they ate. "Take cameras next time so I can see." Her imagination was pretty good but she couldn't see what Bee was talking about.

"What's next? We saw no one," Johanna inquired since she didn't know what to do next. "Do we start opening those containers in the warehouse?" She was a little curious.

"If it's as automated as you say, there has to be a computer somewhere that has an inventory of everything they have. A system that tells the droids where what goes where." Alexis shot that down.

Rick spoke up. "I have an idea if everyone's willing. Alexis, can you take us down the side until we're lined up with one those double pyramids you saw floating in air? Then search for the closest airlock." It was the next thing that interested him.

Alexis was onboard. "Firing thrusters to take us farther out. Firing engines for a quick few seconds. We're moving. At this speed it will take a few days." She was going to need to fire the engines again to slow down and given the state their engines were in she didn't risk going faster even if she did want to.

"Cameras next time!" Alexis aimed her finger at all of them. She didn't want to be left in the dark.

Rick had an idea but needed her approval. "Do you want to download yourself into a portable drive? If we find something maybe I can plug you in." He thought it was a small risk. They didn't have anywhere else to go, after all.

"Yes, please! Please, Daddy. Pretty please." It was his idea so she didn't use her puppy dog eyes to convince him.

"Find us another entrance. We need answers and maybe we'll find someone this time. Hopefully we can translate what they say." Rick had no illusions that they would speak the same language.


	26. Chapter 26

**Hunter and Hunted**

 **Chapter Twenty-six**

There was literally nothing in this drive except for her. Alexis couldn't see or hear anything. It was a lot like when their ship went black that one time.

She wasn't happy about downloading herself into a portable drive. Not since finding out it would be days, possibly weeks, before she would get out of it. But her father had convinced her that if they found something and could plug her in they were going to need her. If nothing else she might be able to understand their language.

"Fine! But I want out as soon as possible, Dad. Promise me? Pinky promise?" Alexis held up her hand and stuck her pinky finger out. That had Kate snorting out a laugh. Apparently she'd rubbed off on the young lady.

Rick grumbled but he stuck out his pinky finger and hooked it with hers, while not actually touching each other. Alexis sighed heavily and disappeared. He took out the tiny drive and slid it into a compartment in his suit.

"Mine doesn't have one of those." Kate ran her hands over her body to search for one since they were all wearing their suits. "Stupid spiders." She roundly cursed Gina and her kind for shorting her.

+x+ [- **O** -] +x+

"Let's move, we're going to run this time," Rick said after they made it to the surface again.

Earlier Alexis had found an airlock and just like last time, it was next to a pair of landing bays with warehouses behind them. Rick was tempted to go through the warehouse and see if there was a power station on the other end like the one Bee had found. However, they went up instead.

"Cameras?" Rick held up his little camera in his left hand and watched everyone else duplicate what he did. "One thousand pictures per camera so don't be careful. Take all the pictures you want." He even took one of the train station from the outside. When he did he saw something. "Hang on." Rick walked up to the building and jumped up onto the roof. "I'll be damned!"

"What?" Kate called up to him since it sounded like he had found something. Rick got behind one and pushed it toward the edge so that they could see.

Johanna got a peek at it. "Is that a car or truck? Can you start it?" Maybe they didn't have to run after all!

Rick looked it over and looked at the other two that were stored up here. It had two seats and a bed in the back. Looking it over, he was betting it used anti-grav to move around.

"It has the same writing as everything else. I have no idea what to press to make it work." For all he knew it didn't even have power. "It's clean though, not a speck of dust." That had Rick thinking. "Maybe we're not alone. So who uses these?" He looked around. He didn't see much but there was a large forested area not that far away.

He jumped back down. "Do we run or do we try and make them work?" He wasn't sure what to do. What if they pressed the wrong thing?

"I'm willing. You said it was a really long way and that's why we're carrying food and water with us. It beats running." Kate looked at everyone and jumped up to look it over.

+x+ [- **O** -] +x+

"Do **not** get separated, especially in the forest. Keep someone in sight at all times. Including you, Bee, no running off." Rick pointed his finger at her.

Bee knew she could handle herself and wasn't afraid. Still she let Rick have his moment. "For this trip." She wasn't promising anything after this outing.

"Let's move." Rick had Kate drive. She'd been the one who had figured out how to access three of the four cars that were stored above the building for them to use instead of running. There was even a way to strap down their supplies behind them.

+x+ [- **O** -] +x+

They had stopped for the day since it was getting dark. Their little cars turned out to be actually pretty fast and it was easier on them than running.

What they didn't have was a tent or any cover. They didn't need a fire since they had light and simply slept in their suits. Except to do their business come morning meant getting out of it enough to manage.

Johanna was **not** happy. "I've always hated camping without a toilet."

"It's just a challenge, Mom. We do this often enough and you'll get the hang of it." Since she had little choice.

"I knew I should have stayed on the ship." She was only peeing, what was going to happen when she had to do more?

Rick was out in front and had a bearing for the point on the ground that would be directly below the floating building. At first they were running through wild grasses; when it turned into what looked like plowed fields, he stopped. "Anyone know anything about farming?" It looked recent to him. The field was not filled with debris, it was just plowed dirt. Nothing was growing out of it as yet.

Jim and Johanna shook their heads while Bee bent down to pick up a handful of dirt and watched it fall through her fingers. "It's a little dry." She looked up to see if there were rain clouds. There were clouds but nothing looked to be heading this way. "It may be old or not used but plowed by automatics."

Rick climbed back into his car. "We need to keep moving, we still have a long way to go."

Jim, Johanna, and Kate were still intrigued that their cars didn't have tires. Rick had told them it worked on anti-grav and not air like Kate had wondered.

They still hadn't seen anyone though they were coming up on a forested area that was going to slow them down. Rick stopped since he had a question. "It's hours until dark. Do we stop here and push on?"

"If it's big we'll need to stop inside it anyway." Bee was willing to just keep going.

"I don't recognize the type of trees, but so long as it isn't too dense we should be fine. Are we going to get lost in there?" Johanna queried.

"We're still going the right way. If it becomes too dense we'll go back and try and find a way around it." Now that they had transportation Rick wanted to keep them. "Question is, when will our transport stop working? They could run out of power since I'm betting these things are solar." Being deep in trees might mean too little sunlight.

+x+ [- **O** -] +x+

They were on their fifth day of travel. Their first forest had been sparse and easy to traverse. Beyond had been more wild grasses but no more plowed fields which only produced more questions.

At the moment they were camped just outside of the next forest line. They had run across a number of smaller streams that helped to keep everything green. They'd even seen what looked like fish in each stream. What they hadn't yet seen was any wildlife. Their cars were relatively silent, however, they did make a little noise.

Kate offered an answer to his question. "They're shy and run when they hear or smell us."

"Possible." Rick accepted it but still had questions.

"Migration," Jim suggested. "A lot of wildlife on Earth migrated from one area to another. Some of it based on seasons. We have at least seen some birds and there are insects."

Rick liked that idea better. "Just two more days at this pace until we're directly below it. How's our food and water?" They had brought what they thought they would need, but was it enough?

"We've got about a week at this rate. But we're using up the water too fast. It'll be gone in a couple of days." Johanna had taken charge of the food and water letting Rick lead them while Bee watched their rear.

"Well if we plan on staying here, since we presently have little choice, we're going to need to test the water eventually. We can fill our supplies first chance we get." Rick got no objections from the rest of them.

+x+ [- **O** -] +x+

Bee was on guard at the moment while Rick and Kate slept side by side in their respective suits with Jim and Joanna doing the same. "What do you think we'll find?" Kate was curious. Besides, talking took her mind off not being able to make love on this trip.

"So far everything has been supplies, storage, and power. It all has to be monitored or controlled from somewhere. I'm hoping this thing is just such a place." What he didn't understand was why there were so many of them and what was holding them up there.

"Which is why you brought Alexis. Is she really okay in that little thing?" Kate was concerned about her being trapped in there.

"We've done this before, just not for this long. I asked her to download some things to keep her occupied – movies to watch and books to read. Unfortunately it's a lot like when we went dark after being shot." Rick felt terrible about that.

"OH GOD, RICK!" Kate remembered seeing her after that. It must be hell in there. "Maybe she should have stayed behind."

"She'll be fine this time. Plus I'm hoping that she's smart enough to figure out their language, especially if I can gain her access to their computer system. We have a lot to learn about this place." Rick hoped it didn't take years to learn it.

Kate turned on her side, placed a hand on his chest, and started doodling on his armored chest. It made her feel better and worse at the same time. What she wanted to say was that she wanted him. It was just that they were all connected to the same communications system so everyone would hear her.

"We're being watched," Bee suddenly announced which had Kate starting to sit up only to have Rick using his arm to force her back to the ground.

"Do **not** give us away. Let Bee do her job." Rick took a peek at Jim and Johanna and was glad to see that they were still fast asleep.

Bee tried to be quick and silent but they or it was fast and just as silent. "Bipedal, about your height, likely weighs a lot less. It's fast and silent and agile." She couldn't keep up and didn't want to shoot it…yet!

"Can you describe it?" Rick asked while trying not to move.

"Little over five feet tall. I didn't see any clothes though I did see a fair amount of hair. Definitely walks on two legs and is extremely agile and fast. I didn't see a weapon but only really got a glimpse of it." Bee then issued a possible warning. "It's melted deeper into the forest. Possibly to go get others."

"I'll relieve you in two hours. If it doesn't come back we keep moving come morning," Rick told Bee who simply grunted her acknowledgment.

"At least we know this place is inhabited. We're not alone." Rick stayed right where he was.

+x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] + **X** \+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+

What none of them knew about or saw was that person heading for home at high speed.

"MAM! DA!" She burst into their room and woke them. "There are strangers near here! Bigger and heavier than us except for one. It was tiny." She held out her hand to show the height of it.

Her parents got out of bed. "How many and what were you doing?" Her da was concerned and then angry at her for being out this late.

"Five." She became defensive. "And I was out hunting for food. We're running low on meat and fish. I was hoping to catch an Oomla for tomorrow."

He sighed; she was right, they did need meat. He just didn't think she should have been out alone. Still she had proven to be a good hunter. "Describe them while we get the others. We need to watch them before deciding what to do."

He walked to the next closest house and woke its occupants. "Sounds like someone new." The description they were given didn't fit anyone they knew.

"They're using something to travel on." She grabbed some paper and a lead stylus and started drawing one of the cars.

"We need an elder. I've never seen anything like it." Together the three of them headed for yet a different house and woke the only occupant.

The elder in turn moved to one of his old books, opened it, and began searching. Finally he landed on a page. "This!" The young female pointed at a drawing.

"A Builder sled." He was amazed that one of them was actually working.

"That's impossible. No one has seen a Builder in generations," the first male argued.

"That's true, even my grandfather has never seen a Builder." He flipped pages until he found what he was looking for. "Did they look like this?" He had stopped at a drawing of a Builder.

She shook her head. "One was only this tall and had a big head." She used her hands to demonstrate its head size and height. "And it was carrying something bigger than it was. The others were our height but they had no faces and they were lying on the ground. Like they were dead and didn't move."

The elder flipped a couple more pages. She shook her head. "No face, no eyes, no hair at all on any of its body." It had freaked her out and also had piqued her curiosity, which was why she had gotten so close.

"No bones?" Meaning not dead. She shook her head again. She knew what dead people looked like.

"Sleeping, then. We need to wake the others. We need to monitor where they go and what they do. We need to learn. We'll form up into teams," the elder decided.

"We need to go hunting tomorrow. We're out of meat," her father insisted. They needed to get their priorities straight.

"You, your wife, and daughter will go hunting and fishing tomorrow with the others. We must follow and watch these newcomers. If they are Builders, we need to learn. Go wake the others, we form into teams tonight and start watching." He watched the others leave.

"The first Builders in generations." He was excited and worried. Meeting a Builder was an exciting thing and scary. Why did these Builders not look like the ones of old? He pulled down another binder and started flipping pages. "A weapon, perhaps." He had found something that came close to what the little one had been carrying. He hurriedly left his home. He needed to warn the others.

+x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] + **X** \+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+

"We're being watched," Bee told them again the next day. Kate spun in place, her eyes darting everywhere trying to see them. Rick, however, put a hand on her leg.

"Stop that! Let them think that they have an advantage. Let them look, they're not a danger." Bee was keeping an eye on them and the rest of them didn't need to be looking around trying to spot them.

It was several hours later when they'd stopped to eat and drink something. To do so meant they had to take their helmets off and show themselves. It caused an immediate reaction that they knew nothing about.

"Builders," one of them whispered excitedly. Except for the little one they looked exactly like the drawings they had. Now they had every intention of following them wherever they went.

It was starting to get dark when they finally found something. "It's right above us," Rick said after looking up. Everyone else looked up with him.

They got off their cars and walked around the building that was on the ground. "Just the one door, bigger than normal," Bee stated as they all stared at it.

Rick pointed up. "So what's the relationship between this building and that one."

Bee was ready to shoot him for that. "Access obviously." She shook her head, came up to the door, and looked it over. She went back to retrieve a bag that was secured to her car. "Let's see if we can get inside before it gets dark." She pulled out tools and worked at getting the cover plate off of the wall.

"Optical cables." Bee had been expecting that and began tapping into each cable she found. "Now let's see what we have."

Rick was both impressed and pissed that she had been hiding something from him. "I thought you were an arms dealer not a computer hacker."

"Oh, I can't hack anything. I can however jump-start any number of things. Everything has the same basic rules. Power and activation controls. You just have to find the right…" They all watched as the door opened.

"I'll never doubt you again, Bee." Rick still thought he should be first even if Bee had done the work. The second he got inside the place started to light up. "Motion sensors. This place has power. Let's see what we've got."

The building was about the size of his first ship if not a little smaller. It was all one room and there were cases scattered all over just like the ones in the warehouse.

Bee put the panel back together and stepped inside and watched the door close behind her.

+x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] + **X** \+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+

A little ways away someone came bursting out of the trees at a dead run and didn't stop until he reached the door they had just gone through. He and others had been here several times and never figured out how to get inside it. "Builders!" He was excited and ran back to the others. "Builders! No one else can get inside. The Builders have returned, we've got to talk to them." All this spying on them was getting them nowhere.

"We wait for them to come back out, but we approach slowly. That little one definitely has a weapon." One of them was willing but they needed to be careful.

"You saw them. They took those things off their heads. They're Builders, have to be." He was excited. All of their lives were about to change and hopefully for the better.

+x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] + **X** \+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+

"Why is there nothing in the middle and why is there a circle in the floor?" Kate walked the entire circle and was thinking of getting down on her hands and knees to look even closer.

"How about this thing," Jim called as he stood looking at a tiny pedestal that was dead center of the circle Kate was tracing. Soon all of them were looking it over.

"Power." Kate reached out and touched a panel before Rick could stop her. Sure enough the panel lit up. She looked around and saw that everyone was inside the circle. Then she slid a bar from the bottom to the top and pressed the panel below it, not the panel below that panel.

The results were instantaneous. Clear panels came up out of the floor and met at the very center above them. Then the ceiling of the building opened and up they went.

"It's an elevator. I know elevators when I see them." Kate was smiling, pleased with herself that she'd figured it out. "Power, the bar tells it how far to go up, this panel is up and this panel is down." It was simple.

Since it was clear they watched as they got higher and higher, getting closer and closer to the double pyramid floating above them.

+x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] + **X** \+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+

"They're going up! No one has ever gone up before. Definitely Builders. You two run to our city; we need as many people here as we can. Bring enough supplies for several days. We will camp here and wait for them to come back down." He watched those two run for home.

"This is going to change everything." He was so giddy with excitement that he could barely contain it. Since it was going to be a long wait, they all sat down and began grooming themselves for that day by licking their fur. They wanted to look their best.


	27. Chapter 27

**Hunter and Hunted**

 **Chapter 27**

They all watched as the bottom sort of peeled away and allowed them to enter before closing back up again, though they still continued to rise just a little. When they stopped, the glass dome slid back into the floor in sections just like it had been formed.

They didn't actually see much, though there were a few of those cargo containers littering the place. Everyone immediately spread out to look the place over.

Rick had just about had it with all these containers and was all set to open one. "I think it's an elevator." Kate had gotten a door to open to reveal a small room inside that had a few panels on the wall.

"Hm, a transit pod all right. Any complaints about doing this one floor at a time?" Rick really didn't want to leave an unexplored entire floor behind him as they worked their way up.

After exiting the transit pod they found just three doors; everyone chose a door and pressed the panel next to it. They'd gotten so used to the lights coming on when they entered that they didn't really pay it any mind.

"I've got a bedroom, _WITH TWO SKELETONS IN THE BED!"_ Johanna had not been expecting that. Rick charged into her room just as Bee reported the same for her room.

"I've got a bathroom, I think. It's empty, no skeletons here." Kate left it to join the others.

Everyone was looking over the skeletons they had found. "No flesh means they've been dead for a long time." Rick reached out and touched the cloth that was still on them and watched it fall apart a little. "A really long time."

Bee had been studying one of them. "They look like your race. Long legs, chest area, normal skull size. No broken bones that I can see. No damaged bones, either. I have no idea what killed them."

"They died in their sleep, maybe?" Jim asked. If he was going to die he would just as soon it be as painless as possible.

Kate scrunched up her face. "There was something, long time ago. …Some cult decided that aliens were coming and that the only way for them to go with them was in spirit, so they drank poison and killed themselves. It didn't work, naturally." They had just been incredibly stupid in her estimation.

Johanna recalled having seen it on the news. "I remember that. I don't know the name of the cult anymore, though. They'd even covered themselves with this blanket that had a design on it. It was sad, especially for their families."

After a quick look around they decided to move on to the next floor which held four bedrooms and two bathrooms. They found two skeletons in each bedroom.

"I'm beginning to wonder if that cult suicide theory isn't right." Rick was uneasy.

The next floor up got them eight bedrooms and four bathrooms along with a couple of storage closets. Once again each bedroom had two skeletons on the beds.

"I'm sorry I even brought it up." Kate had about had it with seeing dead people who may have killed themselves.

"Now this floor is more like it!" Kate liked the next floor. It looked a lot like the living room on their ship.

"A common room and a big one. Lots of seating, art work, paintings. It looks nice if not a little modern for my tastes." Rick liked it well enough. "However…" There was something off about this room. He ran a finger across a table and held it up. His gloved finger was clean.

"No dust!" Johanna did the same and came up with nothing. "No dust, no cobwebs; it's not dirty, like someone has just cleaned it."

"My display shows a breathable atmosphere," Bee pointed out which had the others looking at theirs.

"Leave your helmets on for now. Just in case we do run across Zombies." They would need the targeting system it provided to kill them.

On the next level up they found something fairly normal. "An open kitchen with dining. Of course." Johanna was ready to kick herself that she was a little surprised. "This place is like a condo building or something only with shared living and eating space."

Jim looked puzzled. "Then where's the outdoor living area? Or did we miss something?" It was enough that all of them went back down one level.

"I've got a door. How did we miss this?" Kate was ready to kick herself.

"Over here, too," Johanna called out.

"And one here," Jim added.

Kate had also found something else and couldn't resist pressing panels. Suddenly her entire wall lit up and allowed the nighttime view of the outdoors to come through. "There's a panel at my door."

That had Johanna and Jim doing the same and suddenly the entire space looked to be a wall of glass allowing light from the outside to enter. "I've got a deck with chairs." Kate could see it without having to go outside.

"Same here," Johanna and Jim said at the same time. "Mine has what I think is a grill." Jim lit up since if it worked he would love to put it to use. Change their diet.

"Let's go back upstairs, I want to see something." Rick had them returning to the kitchen.

"Walk-ins." Johanna recognized where Rick was headed and joined him in opening a door.

They didn't smell it because of their suits, but they saw it. "EWW, good thing I can't smell it. It's all rotten and decayed." Johanna just stood there looking at the mess that was inside it. It was revolting but she couldn't take her eyes off of it.

Rick found the same behind his door; he closed it and then closed Johanna's door. "A lot of this looks familiar." Rick looked around the kitchen. There was a place to prep the food, clean everything and storage for plates, glasses and everything else.

This time it was Jim who ran a finger over the countertop. "It's clean here, too. Except for what's in the walk-ins. Interesting."

Rick looked down at the floor. "Even the floor is clean. Maybe too clean."

Bee had an idea, though. "Droids."

"That makes sense. They clean what they can reach. They're not programmed to throw out the food that's gone bad, only to clean everything else." Rick liked it.

"A little like our ship," Kate added since she had seen the little droids that went around cleaning the place from time to time.

Since they were done with this floor they went up and found eight bedrooms and four bathrooms, each with two skeletons in bed.

The next floor up held four bedrooms and two bathrooms with skeletons in each bed.

"They either all killed themselves or…" Johanna had an idea and she didn't like it.

Jim was following her. "They knew that they were going to die and either let it happen or killed themselves to prevent feeling the pain of it."

"SHIT! A contagion. Absolutely no one removes their helmet. Am I clear!" Rick looked at everyone including Bee who had a tendency to do as she pleased and saw nodding heads in return.

"If this holds we've got two more floors to look at." Rick headed for the transit pod. Except there was only one unpressed panel.

Once they stepped out of the elevator the place lit up as usual. But what they saw was NOT another bedroom and bathroom group.

"WOW!" Rick stepped out and looked everywhere, especially at what was in the very center.

What everyone saw was a large circular raised platform about three feet tall that had controls with chairs all around it. The outside walls were filled with screens that all lit up to show what they monitored as they moved around.

"It's a control room." Bee liked the look of it. "What is this thing?" She looked out onto the center area past the control panels. She was expecting to see a flat area at the same height. It wasn't hard to see that the control panels were in a circle that enclosed the area. "I think I see emitters. Like the ones Alexis uses to project herself." There were a number of them inside the circle.

Rick walked the area and looked at everything. Naturally he didn't understand a word that was on anything, still it had him guessing. "Engineering station, Environmental, Communications, Main control maybe." Rick sat down in the chair and looked at everything.

Kate moved to stand right behind him. "Can you read any of that? Looks like Klingon to me and I don't read Klingon." It was the closest she could come to what the symbols looked like.

Rick shook his head. Still there was a place that did look familiar. "This might be an interface panel." It was flat, looked like glass, and had panels you could press surrounding it.

He opened the compartment on his suit and took out the drive that held Alexis inside it. "Baby, are you sure?" Kate didn't want to lose Alexis. The pain would be indescribable, plus losing Alexis might just kill Rick.

"I don't understand a word any of this says, Kate. Alexis might have a chance, she knows more about computers than any of us." Hell, she practically was one. She watched as Rick put the drive on the glass panel and watched as it and the panels around it lit up.

Rick looked at the panels on all four sides. He was tempted to start pressing panels. It was just that he had no idea what any of them did. He left it alone for now. "Got anything Bee?"

Bee had sat down in a chair after putting her weapon on the floor and began looking everything over. "Engineering, I think." None of it made any sense but the design was right. "I think this bar shows how much power the Ring is using. If I'm right it's barely using anything at the moment." She was betting if those were power plants and there were over 9 thousand of them, this place was capable of generating an enormous amount of power. More than she could wrap her mind around.

Rick pointed at Jim and Johanna. "Pick a chair." Maybe they would get lucky. "Just don't start pressing anything yet.

+x+ [- **O** -] +x+

Alexis was ready to start crying. Everything was dark and she had watched all of her movies three times over already. She'd even read all of the books she had brought once. She was a little surprised that she wasn't reading as fast as she usually did.

It was just that there was nothing else to do. "Please, Dad!" She couldn't take much more of this. She also had no concept of time in here. She had no idea just how long she had been in here.

Then suddenly there was something new. Excited, she rushed over to look it over. It looked like a door to her and it even had a door handle. It was just that this door handle was a pad that had symbols on it. "Now what is this?" She had never seen anything like it. Alexis knelt down to get a better look at it. Each symbol was different and was totally unique. "What are you hiding?" It looked like a puzzle to her.

She stood back up and literally walked all around the door. It just stood there and only had just the one panel on one side. "Interesting." Alexis even ran her hands across the door. She didn't notice that she was no longer sad and ready to cry. There was something for her to concentrate on now.

"Let's see what you're made of." Alexis smiled, knelt down again, and began pressing panels as fast as she could. Panel after panel after panel. Then she started pressing them in various series, even started pressing some of the panels twice or even three times.

She had no idea how long she had been pressing panels. She could barely see her fingers move over the panels as she pressed them.

Still nothing happened. She stood up. "Okay door, you're starting to piss me off!" Alexis even decided to kick it and actually felt herself kick it but that didn't do anything, either.

"Don't make me mad, door!" Alexis walked all around it again and this time searched every inch of it on both sides. Then she ran her hands down the edges of the door.

"You're not locked TO anything! You're an access code to something! **DAD MADE IT!** Now I just have to get inside." She was not letting her dad down. She had suffered too much to get here. She was not failing now.

She knelt back down and resumed pressing panels, just in different order than she already had tried. "Come on, door. You're pissing me off. Now open the FUCK UP!"

Suddenly her world lit up with bright lights everywhere. "I'M IN! **YES!** "Alexis pumped her arm in victory.

First thing she did was remember what panels she had pressed to get in. She was hoping that might give her a clue on what to do next.

"Damn this place is big! Pardon my language." Alexis started looking around. "Areas, so many different areas. This looks interesting." She decided to play with it first.

+x+ [- **O** -] +x+

Rick was still trying to figure out just what he was sitting at. "Anything?" he asked the others since he had mostly nothing.

"It's Greek to me." Johanna was just looking as she'd been told to do.

"Greek, Latin, Italian, whatever. I've got no idea. They could have at least left a translator for us to use." Jim hovered a finger over each and every panel but touched nothing.

Suddenly the center section in the middle lit up with a 3D view of the entire ring.

"I didn't do it!" Jim asserted quickly since he was sure he hadn't touched anything.

"Me, neither." Johanna actually sat back and lifted her arms high to prove it.

"Baby?" Had he pressed something.

"Not me," Rick answered just as quickly.

"You don't think…Alexis?" It was the only answer she had.

"THAT'S MY GIRL!" Rick had never been more proud of her. "Come on, pumpkin, show us what you've got." He sat back, put his gloved hands in his lap, and watched the 3D display.

+x+ [- **O** -] +x+

"That did something." Alexis walked around the 3D display that she now saw. "Now where are we?" she wondered and saw a tiny section start to blink.

"That seems to have worked," she said to herself. "We're in that hovering double pyramid. Show me all the others." She wanted to see more and saw a lot of blinking lights scattered over the entire ring.

"WOW! That's a lot of them. Show me a cutaway of what each one looks like." Alexis didn't know how since she wasn't actually touching anything. Regardless, the 3D display changed to a cut-away of the double pyramid.

"Bedrooms, bathrooms, living, kitchen, **and** control room. All of them are the same? Interesting. These could hold thousands. But why live up here and not down there?" However it, whatever it was, didn't answer her question.

"So how is this place powered?" Alexis had her next question ready and watched as the 3D display changed to a view of eight globes on really tall rods. "What are those?"

Suddenly Alexis knew just what they were. "NO WAY!" She'd never heard of such a thing. "Just what the hell is hyperspace?" She now had something she needed to learn about which pleased her greatly.

+x+ [- **O** -] +x+

"That's us!" Kate pointed as the 3D view changed to a cut-away of the station they were in. Then almost as fast it changed to what Bee saw.

"That's that power station I saw. That place was huge. I've never seen anything like it." Bee was still impressed by it. That and that there were over 9 thousand of them or so she believed.

"Come on, pumpkin, you can find us." Rick needed for her to talk to him.

+x+ [- **O** -] +x+

"Okay, this is all nice but I can't read a word of any of this. Where's the translation program?" Alexis needed to fix this problem. Everything was working so far but if she could read it, all this would be better.

"Wait! That word… Is that Ring or Ringworld? And that, is that living, dining, kitchen?"

In minutes she thought she was onto something. "Okay, let's go backwards. What is hyperspace?" She went to work trying to read a synopsis of what hyperspace was.

"You draw energy from this section of space to power this place and there are over 9 thousand of these places? …Numbers! Gotcha now!" Alexis started beaming. But something didn't add up. "Just how big are these places? **HOLY** **...** **!** "She'd been thinking big, but nothing like this big. "That's…that's hundreds of miles! Holy crap!" Alexis decided to put her next to one of the power rods.

+x+ [- **O** -] +x+

"RICK!" Bee saw someone and they were standing next to one of the eight power columns.

"Holy shit!" He knew Bee had said they were big, but he would never have guessed this big. "I think that's Alexis. Come on, pumpkin. You can find us."

Jim and Johanna just sat there with their mouths hanging open. The place was just too monstrous to imagine. Kate simply mouthed the word, _WOW!_

+x+ [- **O** -] +x+

"Hey, I think I've got something. It's a recording from someone. It looks to be the very last thing this place ever recorded. It might be who built this place. Alexis played it so she could see and hear it.

+x+ [- **O** -] +x+

Everyone watched as the 3D display changed to that of a woman standing there.

Kate thought she was lovely and said so. "She's very pretty. Kind of exotic-looking."

"A little heavy on the eye makeup maybe." Johanna thought she had used far too much eye makeup.

She was wearing what looked like a pantsuit that had a bra for a top. She was also wearing a lovely necklace with purple gems. She had long jet black hair. Then she began to speak.

" _My fellow Kalandans, welcome. A disease has destroyed us. Beware of it. After your long journey, I'm sorry to give you only a recorded welcome, but we who have made and guarded the Ringworld for you will be dead by the time you take possession of this place. I am the last of our advanced force left alive. Too late the physicians discovered the cause of this sickness that kills us. In creating this place we have accidentally produced a deadly organism. I have awaited the regular supply ship from home for medical assistance, but I doubt now whether it will arrive in time. I will set the controls on automatic. The computer will automatically perform maintenance on this place as well as protect it and try and help the survivors of the worlds that we saved and relocated to build this place. My fellow Kalandans, I, Losira, wish you well."_

"That was English!" Kate had heard it loud and clear.

" **SHIT!** A disease." Rick had heard that part loud and clear, too. That was trouble with a capital **T**.


	28. Chapter 28

**Hunter and Hunted**

 **Chapter Twenty-eight**

"DISEASE!" Alexis had heard that part and began searching for just what disease she was talking about. That and just how and what were Kalandans and where were they from?

"Damn this place is big!" Alexis was finding a whole lot of things, just not what she was looking for. Still she soldiered on trying to find things. "Ohh, here's something! Now where are you, Dad?" There were so many double pyramids that she had to search them all one by one, though as fast as possible.

"Why am I doing this the hard way? Where is our ship docked? …Gotcha!" Alexis now knew exactly where they all were.

+x+ [- **O** -] +x+

"Aw hell, a damn disease." Just what Rick and the others didn't need.

"But we're in our suits," Kate protested, thinking they were safe.

"And we took off our helmets to eat and drink. We even got out of our suits to do… other things." He meant find a bush to do their business behind.

"DAMN IT!" Kate had forgotten all about that. "Now what do we do?"

"She said they'd found out what was killing them. Does that mean there's a cure?" Johanna asked, hoping that there was a cure if they were infected.

"Who are Kalandans?" Jim inquired since he had never heard of them before, naturally.

"I don't know. I've never heard of–" Rick was interrupted by a very welcome voice.

" **DADDY!** "Alexis ran right for him and tried not to go straight through him like she knew she would.

Rick had just enough time to spin his chair. He wrapped his arms around her and felt his tears starting. "PUMPKIN! Are you okay? Where are you if you know?" He was full of questions.

Alexis eventually pulled away; she sniffled and wiped at her nose and eyes. "There was this stupid door that refused to open for me. I finally got it to open. **Stupid door.** As to where I am exactly, I'm not sure." It was just big she knew that much.

"OH! There's a disease. You all need to be careful." They might die on her and she couldn't handle that. It would be just too much for her to be all alone.

"We heard. A Kalandan named Losira said so. What do you know about this disease?" Rick asked.

"You heard?" How had they heard? Then she looked and saw the frozen 3D playback of Losira right in front of her. "OH! How much have you seen?"

Kate answered her question. "We've seen the Ringworld, a cut-away of this place, and Bee's power station."

"You'll never believe what they use for power and there are over nine thousand of them spread out all over. More power than I can even believe." Alexis was still amazed.

"Oh, we saw that too. With you standing next to one. It looked really big." Kate was still shocked at the difference between them.

"Never mind all that! What's the power source?" Bee wanted to know.

"Something called hyperspace. It's a faster-than-light (FTL) method of traveling." Alexis proceeded to read off what she'd found. "It's described as an alternative 'Sub-region' of space co-existing with our own Universe. A place where the laws of general and special relativity do not apply. Entering and exiting, sometimes called 'Elsewhere' directly enables travel near or faster than the speed of light. Through hyperspace, that unimaginable region that is neither space nor time, matter nor energy, something or nothing, one could traverse the length of the Galaxy in the interval between two neighboring instants of time.

"They developed a way to divert this energy and harness it for power, as well as for transportation." Alexis had never heard of such a thing.

"They developed an FTL that isn't a fold-drive? That's amazing." Bee loved the idea.

"Does this place have any ships with this FTL?" Rick asked, trying to curb his impatience. Maybe they had a way home after all.

"I don't know yet. Do you have any idea just how big this place is? How many landing bays there are? This place is ginormous, Dad." Alexis spread her arms wide to show them just how big.

"Yeah, yeah, it's big. Are there any ships with FTL?" Rick wasn't interested in how big. He wanted to know if there was a way home. A way to cure this disease if they had it. To not be all alone in the middle of nowhere.

"BABY!" Kate growled at him. He was being an ass to his own daughter. "What do you know about this disease, Alexis?" Kate asked, pointedly keeping her voice low and calm. None of her plans included dying. Not from Zombies and certainly not from some stupid disease that these people accidentally made.

"I'm still working on that. What I need to find is a hospital that I can send you to." Alexis had to save them. She didn't care about anything else about this place.

"I'm still working on that, too. This place is so big." The more Alexis looked the more she felt like she was getting lost.

"Ooo, found something. This place is inhabited! One hundred two planets had life forms that the Kalandans transferred to this Ringworld. It looks like they're spread out all over." She wasn't sure if any of them had ever seen the other. They were that spread apart.

Alexis suddenly found them. "OH! There's an enclave near here."

"I knew we were being watched." Bee was vindicated – she **knew** she'd actually seen something. "Peaceful or do I shoot them?" Bee had yet to fire her cannon. She couldn't explain why, but she needed to shoot something or someone and soon.

"Give me a minute. Translating this gibberish to something I can read is a pain." It wasn't impossible any longer but it was taking time and she needed to save them.

"Thank the stars, I found a hospital! But it's not close." Alexis physically slumped. Then she suddenly perked up. "You need to take a train. There's a station near here, a big one, too." Alexis scrunched up her face as she worked at translating something.

Rick and Kate smiled since she seemed to be doing that a lot. "WOW! There are a number of train tracks. Let's see… Two on each side of the Ring and three tracks of six right down the middle. Three go one way and three go the other. There's a station located between the two. Each station also has sidings for idle trains to sit out so that they're not on the main tracks." Alexis was intrigued by it all. "It looks like the trains vary in size. Why do they very in size?" Why in the world would they do that?

"One's Amtrak and one's for cargo," Jim suggested since that was what they did on Earth.

"WOW! Some trains are miles long and some are only three cars. I need to find a short one. You should get moving. I don't know anything about this disease yet, but I will." Alexis was determined to find out all she could.

Despite the urgency they just stood there. Alexis glared at them and decided a threat might get them moving. "Well don't just sit there, get moving. You die on me and I'll kill all of you. Then haunt you before I kill you again. So get going!"

"You heard her, let's move." Rick got up followed by the others. "How far is it?" Did they need to take what was left of their supplies or should they leave it and come back for it?

"About an hour if you run. It looks like the access is just inside a forested area. Not far." They could make it easily and hopefully live long enough to reach the hospital.

"We don't have to run, we have cars." Kate was happy that she wasn't running to anywhere.

"Cars?" That had Alexis getting sidetracked while she looked for these cars.

Everyone was finally downstairs and ready to exit the building. "How are we going to continue to talk to each other?" Rick said to the ceiling since Alexis was still upstairs. Then suddenly she was downstairs.

"I'm working on that. This translating crap is a pain. Just get going, I'll catch up. Go straight once you're outside. It's a building just inside the tree line, can't miss it." Alexis didn't need them waiting for her.

"Straight, huh? That way?" Rick gestured before they got in their cars and began driving.

+x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] + **X** \+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+

"They're out! They're leaving in those…things," a watcher suddenly announced.

The direction they were headed had them a little out of position. Still it could have been worse. They could have gone the opposite direction leaving them behind.

"Spread out, form a line. HUNTERS! Try and block them, get them to stop for us. We need to talk." The leader who was chosen at birth called out, "DO **NOT** ATTACK THEM!" Builders were revered in their culture. Hurting one or worse killing one was beyond bad.

+x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] + **X** \+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+

They'd only been traveling for a short time when Kate spotted something. "Rick!" She pointed at an angle where he probably wasn't looking since he was doing the driving. "I've got movement. Maybe it's the locals Alexis talked about."

"I see them. Looks like they're trying to get in front of us. They're fast." He was guessing about as fast as they were in their suits. Far faster if they didn't have them.

"What do we do?" It looked to Kate like they were going to be cut off. Her targeting system had spotted all of them and she had a lock on each of them. What she didn't know was if she had the range to shoot them. Not that she wanted to kill anyone.

Rick slowed down and asked Jim, Johanna, and Bee to come up along side him. They would approach slower and in a line.

"Use your targeting but don't fire. Let's see what we've got here. I'm not seeing much in weaponry. Pumpkin, you still with us?" Was she able to follow?

"I can hear you, Dad. I'm still looking for that disease. I'll start looking to see who the locals are." Alexis switched tasks easily enough.

Rick stopped and the others followed. There was still several yards between them.

"They look like–" Johanna finished Alexis's sentence for her.

"Cats. Walking on two legs." Johanna wasn't sure what she was expecting for locals, but cats were an interesting change.

"Looks like there are more of them," Rick stated as he watched still more running at various speeds to join this group.

Soon they were all in two groups staring at each other across the divide.

"Now what? I don't speak cat," Kate questioned.

"Not much in weaponry. I think I see long sticks to throw and bow and arrow mostly. Check that, I've got one with a sword at its side which tells me they have metal. The big one with all the hair has the biggest sword." It looked to be strapped to his back. Rick was thankful that it wasn't in his hands.

+x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] + **X** \+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+

"Eleise!" Their leader had started to walk the distance between the two.

"We need to talk and there are more of us then there are of them. Just keep the children safe and deep in the woods," she called back.

The one with the big sword ran to join her. "You need a champion, just in case," he offered.

"Your company is welcome, Elond. Just don't start anything unless they do. Builders! After all this time, we get to meet Builders." She couldn't believe it. Builders were only talked about in their ancient writings. To actually meet one was an unbelievable honor. She practically vibrated in anticipation and excitement.

+x+ [- **O** -] +x+

Rick stated the obvious. "Here comes one. Or two. It would have to be the big guy with the big sword," he groaned a little.

"Can he hurt us with that thing?" Kate asked hesitantly. They had combat suits after all.

"Only if he gets lucky. Like a strike to the face plate of your helmet." Rick was pretty sure they were harmless. Even now his targeting system had picked all of them out and they would all be dead in a heartbeat. He was used to killing Zombies, however. This was different.

Rick got out of his car when they got closer, followed by the others, though Bee kept her cannon at the ready. Like Rick, her targeting system was ready to shoot all of them. They would all die in a second or two.

"She's lovely. …Not all cat like the big guy that's with her." Kate liked the look of her. The other guy had more of a head for a male lion, hair and all. But he looked a little more human in the body.

The female, though, looked almost human and had only hints of cat in her features. Her face was filled with freckles or maybe it was spots. Her ears swept up into elegant points and reminded Kate of Spock from the _Star Trek_ TV series. Her hair was long and golden and she had beads on the ends of a lot of it. She was wearing really nice soft clothing that seemed to flow with her. She also had a nice necklace that looked like a shell.

"I still say she's pretty," Kate insisted. She'd liked her instantly.

They all watched her stop a number of feet away and then bow gracefully. Then the problem started. She started meowing, growling, and purring softly.

Kate's shoulders slumped in dejection. "I didn't understand a word she said." Here she was meeting a real live alien and she couldn't understand a word they said. Rick and Alexis didn't count as aliens, not anymore.

"Alexis?" Rick asked, hoping she could help.

"Working on it. …Damn this place is big!" Rick let her cursing slide for the moment.

Minutes ticked away as the two sides just stood there, staring at each other. Rick decided to risk it and started to take his helmet off. Kate saw him doing it and took hers off as well. Each tucked their helmet in the crook of an arm. "Greetings, do you understand me?" Rick started with that. All the others looked be right where they had been. Only these two had come forward.

They watched her turn her head to look at the big guy that had accompanied her and listened to her growl, purr a bit, and meow. They saw him shake his head.

She faced them again and began making the same sounds, only this time it was at them.

"I'm sorry, I don't understand what you're saying." Rick shook his head while Kate decided to bow and try and show her empty hands like she'd done with the spider Queen. "Good thinking." Rick liked it so he did the same.

Still all they got back was a some soft meowing and growling. "This isn't working." Rick hated it but they weren't getting anywhere. Then suddenly Alexis showed up, looking a lot more solid than before and without the accompanying lights to project her.

Alexis immediately began translating. "She said her name is Eleise and the male with her is Elond."

The male growled loudly, quickly drew his weapon, and stepped in front of Eleise to guard her.

"Sorry, sorry." Alexis quickly figured out she had screwed up. She threw up her hands, bowed deeply, and then began meowing and purring and growling.

This had Eleise stepping around Elond to get in front of him again. "You understand me." She was smiling in delight which only added to her beauty.

"I do now. I'm sorry it took me so long. My name is Alexis. This is my father, Rick, and his mate, Kate. Those are her parents, Jim and Johanna. That's a friend of ours. Her name is Bee." To Rick and the others Alexis was making a lot of cat sounds.

Eleise bowed yet again and even Elond, who still had his weapon in hand, bowed just a touch. "It is a pleasure to meet the Builders. We have waited generations for your return." Eleise couldn't believe it. She had Builders right in front of her and they were talking with her. It was a dream come true.

"How are you doing that?" Rick meant all of it. How was she showing herself and how did she understand a word they said.

"It's not easy, Dad. I have to convert their language into Kalandan and then convert that into something I can understand. Talk about a pain!" Alexis shook her head.

Kate, Jim, and Johanna chuckled softly. "I mean…this?" Rick waved his hand at her body.

"OH! This. It's something like our emitters only different. I think it means I can go anywhere I want to. This is **so** cool!" Alexis meant all of it. What she was doing and who she was talking to.

"What are you saying? Is that Builder language?" Eleise was a little lost and feeling left out. This was a momentous occasion and she didn't want to miss any of it.

"Sorry, the others don't speak your language. I need to translate." Alexis didn't have the heart to tell them that they weren't Builders. Meeting a Builder obviously meant a lot to them.

"We need to reach the building just inside the woods over there." Alexis pointed as both of them turned to look.

"A Builders' building, of course. We will walk with you and talk." She knew just what building they were talking about and wanted to keep talking and learning.

"They want to go with us, Dad, to the train station. We need to go. I still don't know anything about this disease. I don't know how fast it works, if it can be cured, or even if you're infected yet." Alexis didn't want a delay. There was too much at stake here.

"Then let's go." Rick started to put his helmet back on then changed his mind and stowed it on the bed behind him while watching Kate, Jim, and Johanna do the same. Only Bee kept her helmet on.

Much to Eleise's consternation they all got back on those things they were on and took off. They were fast enough that the two of them had to run to keep up. It wasn't far so neither of them worried about getting tired, but she was hoping to talk while they walked.

What they all missed was how Alexis disappeared. She effectively shrank to form a black line and then that line shrank to form a small back square suspended in the air before totally vanishing. Even Alexis didn't know she was doing that.

+x+ [- **O** -] +x+

Their movement didn't allow much talking. Eleise didn't like that but at least she was with Builders.

They all came up on a small building where they stopped. There was only the one door and it was just as big and wide as the last one. It too had the same panel that Bee had hot-wired to open. Bee was all set to do it again when Alexis suddenly showed up. "I think I got it." If she had the right door. There were thousands upon thousands of doors in this place if not millions upon millions.

Sure enough it opened. "I've called for a train it will be here soon. Perhaps by the time you reach it. You'll be going that way," Alexis indicated then listened to Eleise meow, growl, and purr.

Alexis translated again. "She says she wants to come with you."

They heard Elond growl and hiss at her. "He doesn't want her going alone. I get the feeling they're divided into covens or sections. I think she's leader or Royal. He's either Hunter or guardian. Others are something else. Like that older looking guy." Alexis kind of nodded in his direction.

"Do we let them come with us?" Rick was willing to listen to arguments for either.

Kate considered their own safety. "They can't hurt us so long as we wear our helmets."

"They think we built this place or we are descendants of those that did. Letting them come might place us in a good light with them," Johanna put forward thoughtfully.

"Yeah, by lying to them," Jim snapped and glared at his wife.

They missed hearing Eleise growl, purr, and meow since they were busy arguing with each other over letting them come.

"Eleise has consented to let Elond and one other come with her. …Let them come, Dad, what could it hurt?" Alexis wanted them to come.

"Anything on that disease yet?" Rick was still worried about that. "And why aren't these people infected with it?"

Alexis lowered her head. "Sorry. It's really big in here and it's all in Kalandan!" She was starting to lose her mind, just not literally. "I'm trying, I truly am." She cocked her head for a moment as though she was listening to something. "Your train is almost here. It's really cool looking." She was learning to love what these people were capable of building.

"Fine, she and two others. Just be here to translate all that meowing." Rick didn't want Alexis to disappear on them.

It was a simple tube building with just one door. Inside was another ring on the floor with a single pedestal. "I've got it. Going down." Alexis smiled widely and they watched the glass bubble form around them and then start to descend into the ground. At least the lights stayed on.

Eleise, Elond, and another that was not introduced started to descend with wide smiles on their faces. They were going where no one of their kind in their history had ever gone and they were doing it WITH Builders.


	29. Chapter 29

**Hunter and Hunted**

 **Chapter Twenty-nine**

When they stopped the bubble retracted and the door opened. Alexis was the first out. "This way, the train's already here." She had followed its progress the entire way. It had also given her the chance to monitor what all the other trains were doing. What she didn't bother with at the moment was counting all of them. She just knew there were a lot of trains, a whole lot.

They still had to go down a flight of stairs to get even deeper. They watched and followed as Alexis went right at the fork. There was a sign in each direction, however it looked like Kate's Klingon writing to all of them. Including Eleise, Elond, and the Elder that had come with them.

Alexis ignored all of their soft meows, hisses, and growls since they were talking to themselves. She let them think they had privacy. If it was important she would translate.

"Here we are," Alexis announced. To the Becketts it looked a lot like any other subway, save for the train itself which was far more advanced looking. There were even murals in tile on the walls.

It was also wide. "How do you reach the other tracks?" Johanna was curious since it looked like only one was accessible.

"You don't. Those are for trains that are passing through and not stopping. Though one of the tracks is a siding to store a train when not in use." This station apparently didn't have one of those.

Kate stopped at the front and tried to peer through the glass at the front. "What kind of train is this?" It didn't have wheels and it actually appeared to be sitting on the ground. Though it was very sleek looking.

"The Kalandans call it _Evacuated Tube Transport Technology."_ Alexis thought it was pretty cool. "Basically the train enters a tube that is then closed and the space is turned into a vacuum. Only when they reach a station does the door open and the train reverts to riding on a cushion of air. For short trips, which is what we'll be doing, it will travel at just under 400 mph. For longer trips it can reach 4,000 mph. Pretty cool huh?" Alexis then translated for the others.

"Good lord!" Johanna had never even heard of anything going that fast. "From where to where in what time? On Earth if you can." She really needed an example of how fast this thing really was.

"Hmm… New York to Beijing in 2 hours. Does that help?" Alexis asked.

Jim whistled, Kate's mouth dropped open, while Johanna squeaked, "You're serious?"

Alexis opened the doors for them. "You don't need to sit for this trip, we won't be going that fast this time." She thought maybe her dad would try it later.

Jim and Johanna chose to sit while the others stood. Alexis talked everyone into holding onto a pole, just in case.

"Eleise?" the Elder that had come whispered to her. Even he had no trouble noticing that they were going really fast. Unbelievably fast, actually. The only real way that they knew this was watching the joints of the tube flash by as they traveled. "I don't feel anything. It's like we are not moving at all." They'd all felt the rush of the train taking off and gaining speed. But now there was nothing.

"What's this?" Kate saw it just as the wall reached the ceiling. There seemed to be a red dot that was moving.

"That's us. The map will change the farther out we go. It tells you where you are and where you're going. We're heading for this stop here." Alexis, who wasn't holding onto a pole, reached up to point.

"It looks like we'll be going through another station," Kate commented as she watched the red dot. Then the red dot went past the station. "We didn't stop or even slow down. This is so cool!"

Then they felt the train slow down then stop. "Follow me." Alexis knew where to go and had been studying just where this place was the entire trip. "You're going to love this." She could see it in her mind; now even she was going to see it with her eyes.

She took them around the transit pod that would take them directly to the hospital that was located her. She wanted them to see it. To be able to see all of it and take it in. "We're going there." She pointed through a large glass window that overlooked everything.

" **OH-MY-GOD!** " They said it at roughly the same time. Though it was accompanied by meowing and hissing.

Bee finally found her voice; she'd been silent this entire trip. "Is that what I think it is?"

"It's an underground Kalandan city. They built several of them. I'm still searching as to why down here and not up there. Though there may be one or more cities up there. I don't know yet. This was the closest one I could find that had a hospital." Alexis was impressed. She could see the designs for it, but to actually see it was amazing.

"Those stalagmites are all filled with glass, and look at the size of them!" Kate and the others were looking everywhere.

"That explains the nine thousand power plants." Bee got it now.

"How tall, how many, and is it inhabited? Why haven't they done or said anything?" Rick was full of questions.

Alexis hung her head. "It's empty." That was the sad part.

"EMPTY! How can that be?" Rick didn't begin to understand why. Then it hit him. "The disease."

"OH, GOD!" Johanna was catching on. "How many?" She did and didn't want to know.

Alexis looked out at it all. Besides the hugely impressive stalagmites, the floor of the place was also full of buildings. She was still trying to find out how the ceiling was as lit up as it was.

She sighed and answered, "Each of the stalagmites will hold one million people. That doesn't count the floor of the place."

Kate and the others just looked at it all. "Nine million people. …All dead?" It was a tragedy that her mind was having trouble wrapping itself around. The sheer loss!

"I don't think it was ever inhabited. I'm still trying to discover what it's for, but I have a theory." Alexis didn't know yet, but she was going to find out.

"Relocation, I'm betting," Bee offered. "Their home was dying. Either they'd killed the planet or their sun was dying so they built this place. Maybe they were losing a war. For whatever reason, they planned on relocating after it was completed. But something went wrong." She had an idea what that something was now.

"The disease," Rick said grimly; he was following what she was thinking. "Losira talked about a regular medical supply run from home. They built this place, created the disease by accident, then their FTL ships took it back home with them." He could see it happening in his mind's eye.

"DEAR GOD!" Johanna felt tears starting. An entire life form wiped out by a disease they themselves created.

"They killed themselves building this place." Kate wiped her tears away only to have more join those.

"Probably not completely. But enough that they couldn't reach this place any longer. For every disease there are a small number that are immune. They may yet show up." Rick hoped they would anyway.

"If they died, what about us?" Jim questioned. Were they just as doomed?

"I'm still working on that. …Sorry! It's just that this place is so big. You have no idea how big. But I need to get you to that hospital first." Alexis wanted to get moving but Eleise and the others were just as full of questions that she spent the next few minutes trying to explain without scaring them to death.

"This transit pod will take us right to the hospital. Their transit system is really complex. There are billions of these pods and you can go almost anywhere inside the city. Up, down, even sideways." Alexis was amazed.

"How long did it take them to build all this? The city, the Ring, all of it and are they done yet?" Kate inquired. Did they die off before they could finish?

"I don't know that yet. I haven't even left this general area. …I told you this place was big," Alexis reminded her. She stepped into the pod and waited for the others.

None of them felt a thing but they were getting a little tired of being trapped inside it when finally the door opened. "This way…I think," Alexis added the after bit very softly. She was sure of herself after they walked across the corridor and through the double doors.

"This way." Alexis walked until she was forced to stop and wait for a door to be opened for her since she still couldn't actually touch anything, as far as she knew since she hadn't tried to touch anything yet.

"One of you needs to lie down." She indicated a bed and waited a little impatiently.

Jim stepped up and decided to be the guinea pig for this. He got up and lay down. "Okay, Dad, press the panels that I show you." Alexis waited for her dad and watched him press the panel she showed him first.

They watched a see-through glass screen roll up over him and cover him from head to toe. Then she had him press another panel and they watched. The glass panel lit up and began showing his body and everything inside it. "A little gross looking, but interesting." Kate kept the contents of her stomach in place.

Then Rick pressed a series of panels like Alexis showed him. Alexis swallowed hard and gave Jim the bad news. "It says that you're infected."

"Now what?" Rick queried; there had to be a way to save him and everyone else. Then their guests started meowing, growling, hissing, and purring. Alexis needed to stop and explain what they were doing.

"They wanted to know if they're infected as well. We'll put Eleise on the bed after we finish with Jim," Alexis explained and moved to another area. "Over here, please."

"Press the series of panels that I show you. One at a time." Alexis showed Rick what to press. "Perfect, now pick this item up, take this out of the panel, and press it into this thing." She tried to make it simple for him.

"That's it. Now press this panel to retract the glass panels and press this against his arm until the tube's empty. Then repeat for everyone, except Bee, maybe." Alexis needed to see her first.

"Why not me?" Bee wanted to be cured, too.

"You're a different species. You might be immune already and not need a shot. OH, all of you are going to need to do this again in another three months and again in three more months." Alexis also had more bad news. She closed her eyes momentarily, took a deep breath, and continued. "If you live that long… The shots should slow down the disease. But it didn't work for the Kalandans." Seeing the horrified looks on their faces she hurriedly added, "But it would have if they'd found it early enough and started the shots immediately." It was the only silver lining she could find.

+x+ [- **O** -] +x+

"Meow, meow, hiss, growl, growl." Alexis translated for the others. "I asked if Eleisa wants to try it."

They all listened to them talking with each other until finally Elond stepped up and got on the bed. He was not willing to risk their leader when he could go first.

Alexis didn't have to show Rick what panels to press by now since he had done it a few times.

"Meow, hiss, hiss, growl, growl," Alexis told them. "He's infection free," she announced to the others.

Since it was safe Eleise went next. "This is interesting. …She's pregnant."

"Growl, hiss, hiss, meow, meow, growl," Alexis said to the others.

"GROWL!" The two males were shocked. Eleise tried to get up and hit her head on the glass. Rick quickly retracted the glass cover which permitted her to get up.

It allowed her to talk with her friends. "I take it she didn't know?" Johanna inquired. Alexis shook her head. Then Eleise looked at Alexis and growled and hissed at her.

Alexis immediately answered her. "She wanted to know if I could tell her if it was a boy or a girl. Apparently it's important. I had to tell her that it's too soon to know, that she would have to come back in a few weeks."

+x+ [- **O** -] +x+

They all stopped at the window to gaze out onto the city that they could see. "Absolutely no one is in it." Johanna could feel nothing but sadness. It looked like these Kalandans had such a dream only to have it come crashing down on them.

"What's in it?" Kate was curious. That had Alexis scrunching up her face and tilting her head to one side.

"Pretty much everything…I think. It looks like the towers or stalagmites as you call them, are mostly housing. Though it seems like some floors are dedicated to shops. Most of the businesses, restaurants, factories, warehouses, and others are down on the main floor.

Then suddenly Eleise squealed which had Elond drawing his sword to defend her. Alexis was quick and got in front of him. "Meow, meow, growl, growl, growl!" Still he kept his weapon in hand as they watched it start going up and down a wall, leaving a shine behind it.

"Maintenance droid." Rick was glad to finally see one at last.

"There are trillions of the things," Alexis said then suddenly turned to look down a corridor. "They have construction droids, too. Billions of them." Her eyes open wide at what she'd found. "OH MY! There are hundreds of thousands still working on a city that's floating on water somewhere. It's amazing! Several levels on and under the water. Twin towers are reaching up into the sky on either end. I think they plan of building several levels across the top." Then Alexis tilted her head a little further and looked to be concentrating. "I think something's going to hang from it."

Then suddenly she pivoted to look a different direction. "There's another city that's complete." Her eyes open really wide in shock. "It's built into a water fall! They built a waterfall while building the city to divert the waterfall to either side. Then they built the city down the face of the waterfall all the way to the bottom."

"It sounds gorgeous." Kate liked the sound of it.

Then Alexis tilted her head to the other side. "It's not connected to the main power system. Interesting, it generates its own power using the river. Why would they do that?" It didn't make sense to her. They had nine thousand power plants. Why not use those?

They all listened to their guests start to meow, growl, hiss, and purr. All at the same time. It had Alexis doing it back to them. "I needed to explain what I've been saying."

"HEY! I can build you a house if you like. All of you. Completely Kalandan modern or rustic if you prefer. All the comforts of home. I can even have them make appliances, plates, glasses, furniture, art work!" Alexis had found something.

"Wait, I've found something, give me a minute. Translating is such a pain!" She was starting to worry that she would be translating for the rest of her life.

"It's… It's… SERIOUSLY!?" Alexis had never heard of such a thing. Now she needed to read how it did that.

"Alexis?" Rick wanted to know what she had found that was so interesting.

"Sorry, It's something called a replicator. Basically it can reconstitute matter and produce everything that's needed out of pure energy, no matter whether food, medicaments, or spare parts are required. It can create any inanimate matter, so long as the desired molecular structure's on file. It can't create a living organism of any kind. WOW!" Alexis couldn't begin to think of what they or she could do with one of those.

"That's right out of _Star Trek!_ They actually have those here?" Kate was really starting to love this place.

Alexis shook her head. "They have the designs for one but have yet to actually make one. I'm guessing the disease got to them first. I'm going to start making one." She instantaneously sent out the order and watched as droids got to work gathering the necessary materials to construct one.

"What about ships? Can you make those too? Or are there ships somewhere else?" Bee had an idea and she was really wanting to do this.

"I don't know if there are any or not. This place is so big! …Give me a minute." Alexis just stood there while their guests began bombarding them with questions.

Alexis answered them while still concentrating. "I'm not finding any ships yet. Surely there must be some somewhere. But I can make ships. I just need to know what design you want."

"Jump drive or this hyperspace drive?" Bee asked.

"Hyperspace. To do a jump drive I think I would have to take our ship apart so that I could make identical parts." Alexis was still searching.

"How about crystals to fix our jump drive?" Rick questioned.

"I don't know yet, sorry, Dad. I know I keep saying it, but this place is big, really big." Alexis wanted to answer his question and fix their ship, she really did. It was just that finding things, translating it and understanding what she translated was difficult.

"What about using that replicator? On _Star Trek_ it could do almost anything," Kate suggested.

Alexis saw a problem using it. "I'd need to know the molecular makeup of each and every crystal I need to make."

"And most of our crystals are black pieces that the droids cleaned up and ejected out into space already." Rick wasn't sure that thing was going to work for that either.

"We should take them back to their friends. They're probably worried about them," Johanna reminded them. The cat people had been standing there quietly for a little while now while Alexis and they talked.

+x+ [- **O** -] +x+

They all sat down for a meal provided by Eleise and her troop. In the end they both split up with the promise that the Builders were not leaving.

"Now what? It sounds like we need more shots so we can't go too far. Unless there's another hospital close by. So where do we live? And if anyone suggests sleeping on beds that had skeletons on them I'm so going to hurt you!" Johanna set her face to show that she meant it.

"Our ship is days from here," Rick pointed out. "And our food's running low so it might be the only place we can go."

"I can build everyone a new home. As big or as small as you want it," Alexis offered. "To decide what it looks like means going back to the double pyramid and using its control room."

+x+ [- **O** -] +x+

It took an hour but Rick and Kate settled on a design to be built near one of the train stations, up into a small mountainside so that they would have a view, while still surrounded by trees. It would have several terraces with stairs leading to a couple patios. The wall looking out would be filled with glass. Just down the hill was a pool that they could look down onto. Beyond that was a flat area filled with grass. The pool itself was to be built half into the land and half had to be constructed. This constructed area was going to be the deep end of the pool and would have glass on two sides.

Four bedrooms, six bathrooms, 5,469 square feet. There was also a small mountain stream that ran past one side of the house.

They had wanted to argue about the interior decor later, but Alexis needed to know now so she could have the droids start fabricating what they wanted if it wasn't already available.

Bee was next while Jim and Johanna discussed what they wanted and where.

Satisfied that her ship was going to be heavily armed, armored, and shielded, boasting a hyperspace drive, maintenance droids, lots of room and plenty of amenities, she sat back and watched Alexis spin it while also showing her a cut away of the interior.

"What do you plan on doing with it?" Rick really thought she and everyone else were going to stay here. It was safe, free of Zombies, and lacked nothing. Plus they could explore for years and never see it all.

"I'm 1,003 years old, Richard Castle, and I've seen a lot. My children are grown and gone. I don't even know where they all are any longer. Or if they're Zombies or have been eaten by Zombies." Bee showed a little emotion by removing her goggles for a moment and wiping away tears.

Both Rick and the others felt for her. "All I have left is to explore. I'm old now and I want to see things. Besides if Alexis can tell me where the Kalandan home world is, maybe I can send those that survive this way. They built it, they should be able to enjoy it. Maybe figure out just where this place is." Bee held up her hands before anyone objected. "I'll keep the location a secret, I promise." The last thing she wanted was for some Zombie to find out. They'd inform the others and have them descend on this place, turning it into hell like the rest of the Universe was going to. There had to be some place that was safe and free of them.

Some place that could actually be called _Sanctuary._

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 _www dot zillow dot com slash homedetails slash 1404-Wild-Cat-Holw-West-Lake-Hills-TX-78746 slash 29336321_zpid slash_


	30. Chapter 30

**Hunter and Hunted**

 **Chapter Thirty**

 **Epilogue**

+x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] + **X** \+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+ [-o-] +x+

 _Five years have passed_

"JAMES ALEXANDER CASTLE, you come back here!" Kate yelled at her son who had escaped her while changing his diaper. She watched him running away, giggling madly and quite proud of himself. Kate grabbed a diaper and tore after him. He'd made it out of his bedroom and was already down the hall headed for the living room. Thankfully the pool was too far away for him to reach and besides they'd had Alexis install a gate to block access for him.

"Oh, no you don't, young man." Kate caught him and scooped him up. She turned him around so he could face her. "Just where did you think you were going?" What did he have to say for himself.

"Find Daddy," was the answer she got back.

"You need a diaper first." Kate was willing to let him run around especially if he was in search of his dad, her husband.

"NO!" James screeched.

Kate sighed. Her mother and even her father had told her a number of their horror stories when she was two. She hadn't believed a word of it. She'd been a good girl, at least until she'd learned about boys. Then she had to admit that she'd been a tornado and had driven her parents to madness. It was not a time that she reflected on with any favor. She'd been stupid.

"Diaper." Kate tried again since she had one on her.

" **NO!** " And to prove his point he began peeing. Naturally it hit Kate right on her bare stomach, since she lived most of her life in a bikini.

"WHAT!" He had actually defied her and then peed on her. " **RICHARD EDGAR CASTLE!** " she shrieked.

Rick was in earshot of her and cringed. He loved her with all of his heart, but there were times when she tested his patience. He really hated it when she used his name. Even more so when she used his full name.

He couldn't help but wonder what he'd done wrong this time. With a sigh he went in hunt of his very irritated wife. He eventually found her standing there in a bikini, holding their son at arm's-length. His naked son with a puddle on the floor between them.

"HERE! Do something with your son." Kate shoved him into his arms and let go after Rick took him.

" **My** son?" He thought James was THEIR son. He did, after all, have something to do with him being here.

"YES, your son." She proceeded to explain the facts of life to him. "When he's like this, he's your son. When he's well behaved and acting nice, he's my son. I'm going to go take a shower. Put a diaper on him and clean the pee off the floor." Kate turned around and stomped off to their bedroom to strip and wash the pee off. Then throw the soiled bikini into the hamper and put on a clean one.

"Were you being mean to Mommy?" Rick glared at his son and watched him shrink into himself a little. He'd been naughty and he knew it, or at least he knew it now that his dad was laying down the law.

"THAT'S MY BOY!" Rick hugged him and then lifted him up to blow a raspberry on his belly. It had the result he was looking for. His naughty son was now a happy son who was laughing. It earned him another raspberry that had him laughing even harder.

He took their son to his room to put a diaper on him properly. "There, all done. Now I have to go clean up what you did or your mommy's going to pee on me." He knew she wouldn't, but she might do something worse if he didn't clean up after HIS son.

+x+ [- **O** -] +x+

Kate was clean and mostly dry as she tied the last tie of her bikini into place. She hated being angry with either of them. It was just that being peed on had been one straw too many. She sighed, not happy with her choice so she stripped off that bikini and put on one that had a thong bottom.

She glanced at herself in the mirror. She thought all the baby fat was gone but twisted and turned to look herself over. She looked a lot like she did when she'd first met Rick. Except her breasts, thanks to their son, were a touch larger now. That suited her just fine, plus Rick hadn't minded one bit that she was bigger.

Kate left their room in search of both or either of them. She found him out on one of the decks looking out into the forest beyond and below them. She had to admit that they had chosen the site well. It was a spectacular view.

Yes, it got just a bit cool at night thanks mostly to the altitude. However, most of the year it was temperate. She did miss having snow a little, though. No snowmen, no snow angels, the change of climates. But it did allow her to get by with just bikinis all year long now that she wasn't pregnant any longer.

Not being pregnant came to the front of her mind. One more reason to find her husband.

Kate walked up and snuggled into his side while he held their son. "All clean?" he murmured. She broke into a giggle.

"Yeah, all clean. What are you doing out here?" She knew the answer since she was guilty of it too.

"Just taking in the view. I've lived a lot of places while running from Zombies. None've been anywhere near this nice." Rick still couldn't believe that he lived here.

"I grew up in the middle of a big city. I've never had this either. …Alexis is a genius." Kate loved her home. The look of it inside and out. Yes, she and Rick had argued over some of the finishes, but not that many. Besides she had won most of them.

"Thank you!" Alexis said after she popped into view.

Kate moved her head off her husband's shoulder, turned to look at her, and smiled. "Hi Lex."

"What's up, pumpkin? How is Bee's ship coming?" It felt like she was taking her time building it. Not that he minded. It meant Bee had to stay a little longer.

"It's done, she can leave when she pleases. It's even loaded with plenty of food and spare parts." Alexis had delayed as long as she dared, hoping Bee would change her mind.

"Have you told her?" Rick questioned.

Alexis hung her head and looked at her feet. "No." She'd answered so softly they almost missed it.

Kate chastised her a little, only a little. "Lex, you can't force her to stay here."

"Sure I can. I've got control over everything on Ringworld. I've even managed to convert most of the Kalandan into something more readable." It was one of the things Alexis had put top priority to. She'd had it with translating everything.

"Pumpkin?" Rick knew it was wrong and his daughter just needed a push.

"I'll tell her," Alexis relented and before her dad could ask WHEN, since she could say that she would and simply take her time to tell her, she beat him to it. "I just did. She's already starting to throw stuff into that box of hers." Alexis had scanned it as many times as she could. She just couldn't seem to figure out how to make another one. Even the replicator hadn't managed to create one.

"OH, by the way. Eleise and her family are on a train headed this way." Alexis had taught them how to call for one. "Also Jennell and her family have just called for a train. I think they're going to be headed this way also."

"Company!" Kate would love to see them again.

"Give him to me, love. I'll get him into clothes while you go change. Something cool and elegant." They knew both races loved cool clothing that just flowed with every movement.

Kate nodded. "Then I'll get started on dinner for all of us while you and James entertain. Just don't leave me out of it." Their kitchen was open to what she called a den. Their main living room, complete with fireplace, was downstairs. Their kitchen had a main sink in a large island and prep sink in a countertop near the four burner range/oven that also had a griddle in the middle.

The cabinetry had a light colored bamboo look to it. There were no upper cabinets. Instead it had a solid black wall made out of tiles. Off to one side was a monstrously large refrigerator/ freezer.

The countertops were marble while the floor was super large white tiles. There was even a large butler's pantry that held yet another sink as well as lots of storage.

Kate slipped into something soft and flowing after putting on a strapless bra and headed for the kitchen. She caught a glimpse of Eleise, her husband, Cadagan, and their four-year-old daughter, Katayu.

They'd been seeing a lot of her, her family, as well as her clan. Katayu looked a lot like her. Unless she got more as she grew she was the spitting image of her mother save for all her freckles. Little James didn't know it yet, but Kate had already singled her out to be his first and only girlfriend. Alexis had already assured her that the two species were compatible. Even the Kalandans were compatible. All they needed was for some to come here and stay.

Kate was busy when Eleise arrived with her daughter in tow. Kate stepped over to a wall and pressed a panel. "Want a snack? It's fish and it's fresh and not yet cooked." Kate put a tray full of some down to Katayu's level for her to take one.

Kate watched as a small, hesitant, clawed hand reached out and snagged one before swallowing it whole. "Chew, sweetheart, and say thank you." Kate at first heard meow, hiss and growls but it was soon translated by a voice that sounded suspiciously like Alexis.

"Thank you." She was shy. "Another?" Katayu wasn't that shy. Kate put it back down to her level until she took one and then placed the tray on the countertop.

"So what are our husbands doing?" Kate asked Eleise.

"Who knows! Male stuff. Probably about when the next…baseball?" she looked questioningly at Kate, "game is going to be." Eleise was still getting used to the word.

Kate laughed. "I should have my dad come over. He'll either bore them all to tears or keep them enthralled all night with his baseball stories." Her dad was the biggest baseball fan on Sanctuary.

"MALES!" Eleise shook her head.

Kate laughed her response. "We can't kill them, but we can talk them into making love to us."

"This is true," Eleise agreed easily as she watched her daughter taking tiny bites of her fish this time. It was enough of a tease that it had her snagging one of her own. Then a thought hit her over what Kate had said.

"Are you pregnant?" They were talking about sex after all.

Kate turned to look at her, shocked. Then she melted as she remembered just who Eleise was. "No, not yet. But I'm ready for another child." Kate had thought about waiting until she was older, like in her thirties kind of older. James had been an accident but now that she had one, she wanted another.

"As am I. Just don't tell Cadagan that. I might not leave here until I am." Her husband was one horny cat. Kate laughed.

In their early years Kate had initiated almost all of their love making. Lately Rick had been starting most of it. At first Kate had feared that having James had diminished her need to make love to him. However, they were still making love almost daily, sometimes twice a day. Knowing that Rick wanted her made her feel that much more loved and cherished.

"You just want him to give you another child so that you don't have to eat him." Eleise did her best to say it with a straight face but seeing Kate drop her utensil and go into fit of laughter had her laughing as well.

Eleise hadn't believed a word of it until Alexis changed herself into a giant spider and said her name was Gina. She was now ashamed to admit that she had shrieked and if it had been small enough to stomp she would have done so – immediately.

Kate recovered slowly. "Gina. …I still get goosebumps and nightmares whenever I think about that time. There were so many of them." She shuddered as she picked up her dropped utensil and tossed it in the sink before getting one to replace it.

Jennell arrived in the kitchen at this time. "Kate, Eleise." She was happy to see them. Then she spotted the fresh raw fish and helped herself to one and started eating slowly.

"As lovely as ever, Jennell." Eleise sometimes wished she had what Jennell had. Jennell just smiled, not talking while eating.

Jennell was leader of her troop just like Eleise was. Rather than being feline, she was part goat and part Kalandan. She had hooves and a pair of short spiked horns in her head that were slightly curved and went to the back of her head. Though the horns were well hidden in her solid white hair. Even her ears were almost as big as Eleise's. Her skin was a deep ebony. She was tall like Kate with long legs. Unlike Eleise and Kate, her breasts were much larger and she wasn't ashamed of displaying them. Her chest size and long legs made her a real catch in her troop.

"Where are Larate and your son?" Kate inquired.

"With the other males. Something about baseball." She shook her head. She didn't really understand the game, but she was proud of her husband. Larate had proved that he was really good at the game. He had shown them that he was really fast like all of their race. Just not quite as fast as Eleise's Cadagan. Now that male was fast.

"I see we're going to have to make a picnic and watch our men play their game again soon." Kate said and stirred the sauce for the noodles she'd made from scratch.

"If we want more children we will,"Jennell agreed quickly.

Eleise tried to hide her smile. "Kate's pregnant."

That had Kate spinning to face her with a very shocked face. "I SAID NO SUCH THING! I simply said I was ready for another child." Kate glared daggers at Eleise.

Jennell burst out laughing. "You're just not yet ready to eat your husband," she chortled.

"Keep it up, you two, and I'll burn our dinner just to spite you," Kate threatened.

"You burn it and it won't fatten up your husband. Eating a thin husband will gain you nothing." Jennell laughed some more as did Eleise.

"And I call you two friends." Kate was starting to question why.

Jennell managed to stop laughing long enough to say, "Because you love us. And we're your only neighbors."

Kate sighed; it was true. These two, next to her husband, were her best friends and she was glad to have them to talk to.

+x+ [- **O** -] +x+

They were all gathered at an airlock on the edge of the Ringworld that they'd christened _Sanctuary._

"You don't have to leave, Bee. You're welcome to stay." Kate hated to see her go. They'd been through so much together.

"Please stay. You could have Alexis build you a bigger and better home." Johanna really didn't understand why she hadn't taken advantage of that. Granted she and Jim hadn't asked for anything like what Kate and Rick had. They'd both written it up to not looking at having a bigger family. Kate was just going to have to be an only child.

"Thanks, but this place isn't for me. My life's out there. It's where I belong. However…" Bee thought she was never going to see them again so she melted her rough exterior a little. "I thank each of you. Especially you, Alexis. You're an amazing young woman. You have taken this place as a challenge and conquered it." Bee was sure she was never going to meet anyone like her.

Alexis wiped her tears. "Thanks, Bee." Alexis moved in to hug her though she couldn't actually feel or touch her.

"So where are you going?" Rick queried since he didn't know of anywhere to go.

"Alexis has found the Kalandan home world. I believe I'll start with that. If I think they're worthy I'll let some of them know where this place is. It's mostly empty, has empty cities, and they **did** build it." Bee thought that will be first.

"And paid for it with their lives," Jim added. He was still having trouble wrapping his mind around how big this place was, how long it took them to build it, and then to die before they could use what they built…. He shook his head.

"Yes, they deserve the chance to enjoy what they've paid for in blood," Bee agreed. "I'll send you signals from time to time. Try and let you know where I am now and what I've found," she promised.

"And after they're on their way here, homeward bound as it were?" Even Alexis hadn't found much beyond that yet. She just kept telling them how big this place was.

"We shall see. I'm old and I would like to see what no one else is likely to ever see. Go where no one else has ever gone. Who knows, maybe I will finally get to shoot someone." Bee smiled widely at her joke.

It had everyone chuckling. Bee hugged them all and turned to walk into her ship.

"Think we'll ever see her again, Dad?" This was the part Alexis had delayed as long as she could.

"Maybe, maybe she'll find something she can't handle alone and will need help." Rick doubted it, though. She hadn't called for help when the Zombies attacked her station.

They watched her ship pull away and it finally gave them a good look at it using their own eyes.

Rick looked at Alexis. "Just what's in that ship?" In person it looked bigger than he had originally thought.

"Everything I could squeeze in to it, Dad, everything I could possibly manage. Her shields are strong enough to stop half a dozen Bree Battleships. She has three McKenzie Beams. Four miniaturized hyperspace power stations. A dozen droids to help her with everything, and…" Alexis wasn't sure her dad would approve of the last one. "Oh, and two replicators."

Rick raised his eyebrows. He knew she wasn't telling him everything. "A-lex-is?"

"Promise you won't be mad? Pinky promise?" Alexis raised her hand and stuck out her her little finger.

Rick grumbled but linked his pinky with hers. He didn't think there was anything she would ever do that would make him angry with her.

Deliberately not meeting his eyes, she blurted out, "I gave her a copy of myself. There are now two of me. I didn't want her to be all alone out there. I like Bee." Alexis cringed, hoping her dad wasn't furious with her.

Her father swooped in, hugged her as best he could with her not having a physical body, and kissed her head. Both of them wept. He was so very proud of his daughter.


End file.
